What is Pandora famous for?

Answer 1

Pandora is best known for, according to Greek mythology, being the first woman. She was given all sorts of virtues: intelligence, beauty and the like, but she was also given a fault: curiosity. She was basically supposed to be Prometheus' punishment for giving mankind fire. The Gods gave her to him as a wife, along with a jar (box is a mistranslation) which they warned her never to open. Alas, Pandora's curiosity got the better of her and she opened it, unleashing all of mankind's evils: illness, greed, death etc. She closed the jar again and left Hope inside - the only thing which helps us survive the evils she released out of curiousity.

Answer 2

The king of the Gods, Zeus, gave Pandora a pithos (a kind of storage jar - most people think it's a box, however, hence 'Pandora's Box') and told her not to open it, no matter what. Unfortunately, her curiosity got the better of her, and she opened the pithos, releasing all the evils of mankind - pain, etc. Only one thing stayed in the pithos - Hope. Hope did not fly out with the others, and since it stays in the jar and does not fly away, humanity still has Hope to this day.

As a side note, Zeus gave Pandora the jar knowing that she would open it. Earlier, Prometheus the Titan disobeyed Zeus and gave mankind the gift of fire from the sun. Zeus tied him to a rock and let eagles and/or vultures peck out his liver every day (since it regrew each night)*. Zeus then punished humanity by giving Pandora the jar... knowing she would open it and unleash all the evils upon humanity.

*Hercules, during his 12 trials, rescued Prometheus.