PANDORA THE FIRST WOMAN

Although Zeus had punished Prometheus for stealing the divine fire from the
chariot of the sun, he was not satisfied. He felt the gods should punish Man for
accepting the stolen gift. Calling all the gods to the great hall, he asked them what
they thought would plague and torment Man the most. It was decided, after many
suggestions and arguments, that a woman might do just that by planting seeds of
ambition and dissatisfaction in his breast. So in much the same way as Prometheus
had made Man, the gods brought clay from the earth and created a woman they
called Pandora.
When she was given life, she was endowed by the gods with every gift:
Aphrodite gave her beauty; Hermes gave her the art of persuasion; Apollo donated
the love of music; and the Graces trained her in the social arts. Then Hephaestus
fashioned an exquisite box of pure gold into which were put all the evils that have
plagued mankind ever since- disease, famine, envy, greed, hatred, intolerance,
and injustice. It did not seem possible that a thing as lovely as the golden box
could contain so many ills.
As they were about to close the box, the gods and goddesses regretted their
hasty decision. And, although they were too proud to give up the idea entirely,
they added the beautiful gift that would lessen the pain caused by all the other
disasters. This gift was called Hope. The gods tucked it down into the bottom and
warned Pandora not to open the box which was intended as an offering to the man
who took her in marriage.
Then bidding her good-bye, they gave her to Hermes, Zeus messenger, who
bore her away with him to earth. Hermes left her with Epimetheus, who was so
struck by her unusual beauty and grace that he gladly took her into his house.
Seeing the golden box under her arm, he asked her what it contained, and
she answered that she did not know exactly but she had been told to give it to the
man she married. She placed it on a table, and its brilliance lighted the entire
room. Leaving Pandora alone, after cautioning her not to open the box until he
asked the advice of his brother, Epimetheus traveled a whole day until he reached
Mount Caucasus, where Prometheus lay in chains. He told all that had happened,
and Prometheus, suspecting a trick, told Epimetheus to hurry back and hide the
box so well that no one could ever find it.
In the meantime, Pandora explored her new home. She picked flowers and
scattered the petals which were soft and fragrant underfoot. She brought cold
sparkling water from the brook at the foot of the hill; she took honey from the bees
and fruit from the trees. Each time she entered the house, the shining box caught
her eye, and more than once, she stopped to touch it, shake it, and wonder what it
might hold. All day she kept busy until as night drew near, she could find nothing
else to do. Drawing a chair up to the table on which the box lay, she sat down,
hypnotized by its beauty and glitter. Occasionally she went to the door and looked
in the distance to see if either Epimetheus or Man were approaching.
Finally, she took the box from the table and held it, turning it over and over,
admiring its exquisite design. It was almost dark and she was alone.
Surely, she thought, it can do no harm to open this lovely thing a mere
crack and see what it contains. Is it a crown? a precious jewel? a magic cloak? A
gift from the gods must be something beautiful and rare.
The Furies who were hovering about, robed in invisibility, read her thoughts
and stung her conscience with tiny pricks. She fumbled with the clasp and
loosened it. Perhaps, she said to herself, its a robe of purest gold thread,
embroidered with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. And if it is, it would be better if
I opened the casket and wore the robe so that I would look more beautiful in Mans
eyes.
 As she thought this, the Furies stung her madly, but her curiosity was so
great that she scarcely felt them. She opened the box a little, and peering in, saw
nothing. Angry and emboldened, she opened it wider and saw what at first looked
like a brown, ugly cloud. The cloud moved and separated, and then with a loud
buzzing sound, hundreds of things resembling small insects escaped into the room.
Terrified, she tried to close the box, but her hands shook and she could not manage
the clasp. It was almost empty when she finally slammed the lid, and only one
thing remained. This was Hope which had lain at the bottom.
She hurriedly placed the box on the table again and ran to the door to see if
Epimetheus or Man were in sight. She looked around the room to be sure that none
of the evils remained to be seen. She shook her robe in fear that some might lurk
in its folds, and she combed her hair free of them. Then she set the table for
supper, selecting the ripest fruits, the most delicious berries, and the loveliest
scented flowers. Pulling her chair away from the table, she sat down to wait for
Epimetheus and Man.
When they returned, they found her innocently mending their clothes. And
she looked so beautiful, sitting there that Epimetheus almost forgot to ask her
whether or not she had looked in the box. When he asked her, she pretended for a
moment to have no idea of what he meant. The box? she asked. Oh, that one? It
had slipped my mind entirely. Yes, I did open it a little, and there is a lovely shining
thing in it. It is more beautiful than the rarest jewel, and it is called Hope.
We will keep it there, Epimetheus told her.
She made no mention of the ugly brown cloud composed of hundreds of ills
that had flown out into the world, and it was some time before Epimetheus and
Man knew that the box had contained anything but Hope. When they did learn,
Pandora had so endeared herself to them that they could not punish her. They
looked at her sadly, unable to speak. Seeing the disapproval in their eyes, she tried
to defend her disobedience.
It is true that I opened the box, she argued. But it is also true that I
allowed the evils to escape into the world. I brushed them from the room. They are
not here and they cannot harm us. And our house harbors only Hope.
TASK 3.1
THINK AND SHARE

1. Words to discuss and use: Who were these gods and what did each give to
Pandora?

A. ZEUS

B. APHRODITE

C. APOLLO

D. HERMES

E. HEPHAESTUS

F. THE GRACES

2. Why was Pandora created? How did the gods expect Pandora to punish them?
3. Describe Pandoras Box. What did it contain? Why did Prometheus tell
Epimetheus to hide it?

4. Why did Pandora open the box? What happened after she opened it? Why did
Epimetheus and Man not punish her?