Pandora

From her is the race of women and female kind:
of her is the deadly race and tribe of women who
live amongst mortal men to their great trouble,
no helpmates in hateful poverty, but only in wealth.

Pandora

John William Waterhouse

Pandora

1882

Jules Joseph Lefebvre

Pandora

Jean Cousin The Elder

In Greek mythology, Zeus, the king of the gods, ruler of Mount Olympus and god of the sky, ordered Hephaestus, god of craftsmanship, to make Pandora out of the earth and water, so that he could punish Prometheus. Prometheus was the brother of Epimetheus and a champion of humankind, known for his intelligence. Zeus wanted to punish him for stealing the secret of fire from him and giving it to mortals (humans). All the gods helped in making Pandora a beautiful, cunning, seductive yet deceitful woman. It is said that the gods made her nature inquisitive and curious, which is the reason why she opened a box called Pandora's box, that released all the evils among mankind. By the time she closed it, the only thing that was left in the box was 'hope'.