The Pandora Box Greek methodology has been one myth which has always caught my attention. On most circumstances, the Pandora Box is described as a source of long but unseen problems or troubles. To me, it is so mesmerizing to imagine that a single person, Pandora, could be answerable to most of the wickedness in the whole universe. The debate about hope being a bad thing or a good thing catches my attention as well. These are just some of the reasons which forced me to select and interpret the Pandora Box myth in my essay.
The myth states that Pandora is the first human woman created by the gods from clay. Zeus gave the task of creating the human race to Prometheus. Later on, he became unhappy with the penalties levied on the human race and hence ran away with fire from the heavens. The god got angry with this and authorized others deities to make Pandora bestowing beauty upon her. She was then sent to be Epimetheus' wife. The gods awarded Pandora with a storage pot during the wedding, when she unlocked it, a cloud of ills - toil, sickness, and strife- ensnared inside it were all freed. These plagued the humans forever. The only sole blessing which would ease the suffering of man was Elpis (Hope) which remained as she closed the jar. Pyrrha (Fire), who was the only daughter to Pandora survived the Great wrath alongside with her husband. To refill the universe, they were authorized to bear the punishment which led to a new race of women and men.
The traditionary Greeks believed that all evils of the universe were stored inside a pithos, which was considered as a huge vessel for storage and was partially concealed underground. The Greek's belief in this myth led to their practice of a festival known as the Anthesteria. On the first day of the festival, wine casks were opened to release the souls of those who had perished. On the second day which was also the closure of the ceremony, the men daubed their doors with a pitch and gnawed-on blackthorns to evade the new souls who were released. The jars would then be closed. Pandora is believed to be a personification of the universe, created from the earth and rising from the grounds product -clay. She is connected to the earth by the pithos, and the casket minimizes her significance (Gill).
It is believed that Pandora's creation had a goal of acting as a punishment to the human race by the gods. The myth tells why human beings have to toil for survival. Pandora signifies the stunning symbol of trepidation. The lady was created to entice men with her overwhelming sexuality and gorgeousness, and to introduce disobedience, treachery, and falsehood in them. Pandora's role was to loosen all the ills of the universe and trap hope making it inaccessible to man.
Conclusion
The Greek mythology of Pandora's Box is a creation story, a warning, and a theodicy, - a fable which attempts to explain the existence of evil in the universe. Ancient Greeks believed in this myth and applied it in teaching themselves about the feebleness of the human race, and understand the many calamities which humanity faces. The Greeks through their staunch belief in this myth tend to blame the woman for the tribulations of the universe.
Works Cited
Gill, N. "Pandora's Box: Ancient Greeks Blame Women for The World's Suffering." ThoughtCo. N. p., 2018. Web. 7 May 2018.
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