Primary Sources Analysis Assignment - Pandora Myth

While Prometheus, the courageous Titan, was enduring his punishment far to the north in Scythia, Zeus proceeded with his next objective: the punishment of mortal men. Once again, he called upon his son, Hephaestus.

“Hephaestus,“ he commanded, “I want you to create a woman from the same ingredients that the clever Titan Prometheus used to create his beloved mortals. I want her to be both a blessing, and a punishment for humankind.”

Strong-armed Hephaestus obeyed his great father’s order, giving the girl the face of a goddess but human voice and strength. Then grey-eyed Athena dressed her in silver clothing and placed an embroidered veil upon her head. Hephaestus crowned her with a golden wreath of intertwined wild animal figures, a marvel which he alone could devise. When they had finished, the children of Zeus led the mortal girl out among the immortal gods.

The Olympians gasped in admiration at the beautiful creature that had been created. The Graces placed golden necklaces around her neck, while the Seasons placed spring flowers among the golden animals of her crown.

Then the Lord of Olympus directed golden Aphrodite to give her the qualities of love and desire. Finally, Zeus instructed his son, Hermes, to give the girl an inquisitive and curious nature.

As Zeus commanded, all obeyed. Finally, as his gift, the Lord of High Thunder gave Pandora a sealed box and told Hermes the Wayfinder to accompany her down to earth, where he should present her to the gentle Epimetheus (the twin brother of Prometheus).

Epimetheus could not resist such an appealing gift. Even though his brother Prometheus had warned him never to accept any gift from Mount Olympus because it might prove to be a source of evil, gentle Epimetheus could not believe that anyone as beautiful and as appealing as Pandora could bring anything but delight. Therefore, he immediately married her.

Soon thereafter, Pandora became curious about what the sealed box contained. No sooner had she broken the seal and lifted the lid from the great box than its contents flew out into the air, scattering everywhere. Olympian Zeus had filled the box to the brim with evils for man, thousands of sorrows and sicknesses that now hovered, some to attack by day, and others to steal in by night. Only one spirit remained behind in the box. Hope had become caught under the rim, and it could not fly away before Pandora replaced the lid. Through the contents of the box, the Lord of High Thunder completed his terrible revenge against Prometheus, thereby warning both gods and mortals not to challenge his authority.