the myth of Pandora

After Prometheus brought people fire from the forge of Hephaestus and taught them different crafts, people worked, and their lives became happier. And the people themselves have become better, kinder and more attentive to each other. After all, they now had a lot, and if they did not have enough, they could all do it themselves. He did not like this great thunderer, and he decided to try the people again and sent evil to them on the earth. And that people do not understand that this is Evil, it should have come to them in the form of a beautiful girl.

He called Zeus his son, the god Hephaestus, and commanded him to mix the land with water and make the girl of extraordinary beauty. Athena Pallada wove a wonderful dress of silver threads for her and put a golden crown on her head. Aphrodite gave the girl irresistible charm, and Hermes put in her chest a deceitful and cunning soul.

They called the girl Pandora, which meant - "endowed with all the gods." And it really was so, because she received gifts from all the gods.

When the girl was ready, Zeus ordered Hermes to take her to the house of Epimetia - brother of Prometheus. Prometheus always warned his foolish brother that he would not accept any gifts from the clever Zeus. He knew that these gifts can bring people only disasters and adversities. But Epimetius did not obey the wise advice of his brother, but in addition, the girl was so beautiful that he gladly accepted her and took Pandora to his wife.

Soon, Epimetius was convinced that this time his brother was right. Together with Pandora, a big vessel appeared in the house of Epimetia. He stood for a long time in a dark corner, and no one ever opened it. Everyone knew from somewhere that if a vessel opened a big trouble would fall on the ground. So the vessel stood in a secluded place, and no one even thought to dare approach it. But once the curious and cunning Pandora, languishing with curiosity, quietly made her way to the vessel.

"I will not open it," she thought, "but just open the lid a bit and look inside what lies there."

And she opened the jar a little. But this lump was enough to immediately all the evil, all human vices and misfortunes, illnesses and adversities that were enclosed in a vessel flew out of it.

Frightened, Pandora shut the lid, but it was too late. All the human vices and misfortunes had scattered over the earth, and at the bottom of the vessel there was only hope. So now people were deprived even of a small hope for a better life.

Again, evil settled on the earth, people suffered from various calamities that fell upon them one by one. There were new diseases, they could not heal those medications that Prometheus gave people.