潘朵拉的盒子

Zeus made the first woman and sent her to Prometheus and his brother, to punish them for their caring so much for men. She was made in heaven, every god contributing something to perfect her. Venus gave her beauty, Mercury persuasion, Apollo music, etc. All gods gave her gifts, silvery raiment and a broidered veil, a wonder to behold, and bright garlands of blooming flowers and a crown of gold. Because of what they gave her they called her Pandora, which means "the gift of all".

The gods presented her with a box into which each had put something harmful, and forbade her ever to open it. Then they sent her to Epimetheus, who took her gladly although Prometheus had warned him never to accept anything from Zeus. He took her, and afterward when that dangerous thing, a woman, was his, he understood how good his brother's advice had been. For Pandora, like all women, was possessed of a lively curiosity. She had to know what was in the box. One day she lifted the lid--and out flew plagues innumerable, sorrow and mischief for mankind. In terror Pandora clapped the lid down, but too late. One good thing, however, was there--Hope. It was the only good the casket had held among the many evils, and it remains to this day mankind's sole comfort in misfortune.

潘朵拉是宙斯創造的第一個人類女人，主要是要報復人類。因為眾神中的普羅米修斯過份關心人類，於是惱火了宙斯。

宙斯在爭奪神界時，就是得到普羅米修斯及其弟厄庇米修斯的幫助，而能登上寶座。普羅米修斯的名字即「深謀遠慮」的意思。而其弟厄庇米修斯的意思為「後悔」，所以兩兄弟的作風就跟其名字一樣，有著「深謀遠慮」及「後悔」的特性。

潘朵拉被創造之後，就在宙斯的安排下，送給了厄庇米修斯。因為祂知道普羅米修斯不會接受祂送的禮物，所以一開始就送給了厄庇米修斯。而厄庇米修斯也接受了她，在舉行婚禮時，宙斯命令眾神各將一份禮物放在一個盒子裏，送給潘朵拉當禮物。而眾神的禮物是好是壞就不得而知了。厄庇米修斯的胞兄普羅米修斯就警告厄庇米修斯，千萬不要接受宙斯的禮物，尤其是女人，因為女人是危險的動物。而厄庇米修斯就跟其名字一般，娶了潘朵拉之後沒多久，就開始後悔了。

因為潘朵拉除了善妒，貪婪，愛美外，最大的缺點就是好奇心了。從結婚以後，她就不斷地想打開眾神送的小盒子，而厄庇米修斯卻要時時刻刻的提防她的好奇心，因為他知道盒子裏的禮物未必都是好的。有一天，潘朵拉的好奇心戰勝了一切。她等厄庇米修斯出門後，就打開了盒子，結果一團煙衝了出來，將一切禮物全都釋放，這裏面包含了幸福、瘟疫、憂傷、友情、災禍、愛情‧‧‧，潘朵拉害怕極了，趕緊將盒子蓋上，但一切都已經太遲，盒子內只剩下「希望」。於是潘朵拉抱著「希望」等著厄庇米修斯的歸來。至今，它一直是人類生活動力的來源，因為它帶給人類無窮的「希望」，不管遭遇何種困境，它是人類一切不幸中唯一的安慰。

註：圖為潘朵拉和盒子