Everyone has heard about Pandora’s story. But there is actually more to it than we have read in books. The creation of Pandora’s box was much more complicated than most of you have heard. To understand the reason, we will begin the story from when Zeus became the king of the gods and imprisoned the titans deep inside the Earth.
There were only 2 Titans left who had sided with the gods- Prometheus and his brother Epithemeus. They were the wisest of the Titans with Prometheus meaning “Forethought” and Epithemeus meaning “Afterthought”. Epithemeus always rushed to work while Prometheus considered things very carefully before making something.
One day, Zeus gave them the tasking of creating animals and men to populate the upcoming age. Epithemeus set right to work creating bears, crocodiles, lions, birds, etc, and all other animals each with their own special trait. He was so enthusiastic that when it came to crafting man who was supposed to be the greatest of all creations, he was all out of ideas. He rushed to his brother and begged for help. Prometheus considered the situation first and then with all his skill and wisdom crafted man and gifted them an ability unique to them, the ability to walk upright like the gods, and to think and reason as much as he did.
The final gift he gave mankind was a fire which he stole from the son, fire from which all creation was possible. When mankind started living in the world, the gods expected it to give them offerings. Prometheus helped mankind secure a great ox and carve it up. The meat was covered in a hide and then by disgusting intestines and organs. The bones were covered by shimmering glistening fat. Zeus was asked to pick one of the two, he obviously chose the shimmering glistening fat covered bones, mankind then celebrated by eating the meat and from then on offered Zeus bones covered in shimmering fat every time they were asked for an offering.
This enraged Zeus and Zeus being a total jerk like always decided to take revenge. Now at this point, mankind was just mankind, there were no females. Zeus then gathered all of the Gods and then each did some labor and bestowed some gifts on a new being named Pandora (the first female). Pandora means “gift for all” and being the only female was welcome and loved by all. Again, Zeus was kind of a jerk so for every gift the gods bestowed, he found a sorrow and put it in a box. He then gave the box to Pandora, told her to never open it, and sent her to Epithemeus. Now Prometheus had told Epithemeus to never accept gifts from Zeus as they were always certainly tricks but as always, he did not think before acting and upon seeing such a beauty asked her to stay with him.
She did not open the box for some time but one day out of curiosity, she opened it and released into the world all sorts of sorrows like disease, grief, jealousy, etc, she tried to close the box but by that time only one thing was left in the box. Seen as the cruelest sorrow or the greatest good, “Hope”, which makes sure mankind will never get tired of enduring the sufferings. To this day these sorrows plague humanity.
