Pandora's box is a metaphor in Greek mythology that represents something that brings about great troubles or misfortune, but also holds hope
. The story of Pandora's box is connected to the myth of Pandora in Hesiod's c. 700 B.C. poem Works and Days
. According to the myth, Pandora, the first woman, was given a jar (later a box) containing all manner of misery and evil by Zeus, the king of the gods
. When Pandora opened the box, the evils were released upon the earth, but hope remained inside
. The box symbolizes:
- Curiosity and desire for knowledge, which can lead to both negative consequences and optimism
- The challenges and difficulties of life, as well as the resilience to overcome them
The idiom "to open a Pandora's box" means to do or start something that will cause many unforeseen problems
. A modern, more colloquial equivalent is "to open a can of worms"
