Pandora
by

Rhonda Tyree

(Paper submitted to Images of Women in the Ancient World: Issues of Interpretation and Identity, Spring 1998)

      "What else is a woman but a foe to friendship, an inescapable punishment, a necessary evil, a natural temptation, a desirable calamity, a domestic danger, a delectable detriment, an evil nature, painted with fair colours?" [1]

      "Woman is like an apple, lovely without, rotten within." [2]

      This idea of a woman's identity has persisted from classical Greece until today. From Eve to Pandora this myth of the woman as the "beautiful evil" has shaped the perception of the female sex throughout history. This viewpoint has had detrimental effects on the status of women. It has characterized women as being gifts for men, empty vessels used for reproduction, bearers of all evil, temptresses, as punishment for men, and as property of men. Both the Greek myth of Pandora and the biblical account of Eve exemplify this characterization of women. The parallels between Eve and Pandora are overwhelmingly obvious. Their identities were so similar that the Greek myth of Pandora was used in creating the Christian doctrine.

      Pandora was the image of a perfect, beautiful woman. There are conflicting stories of her birth, as to what god actually created her. Early accounts cite a vengeful Zeus as her creator, others say that Zeus appointed Hephaestus to create her. Pandora was sent to earth by Hermes (or some accounts say Mercury) and given to Epimetheus as a wife. She was formed from earth and water. She rose from the earth, inanimate and naked - a perfect parthenos. (A parthenos is defined as a girl of around fourteen years old that was ready for marriage.) Pandora was then bequeathed with gifts from all of the gods, clothed in gold, jewels, and elaborate garments. Her name means 'all gifts' due to the adornment of gifts from the gods upon her birth. This little girl image symbolized Pandora as a doll, a play toy for the gods to dress up.

      This imagery of a doll is indicative of Pandora's position. She was a beautiful and flawless young woman. She did what her master set out to do and was a trap for mankind. She was sent out as a toy to lure the unsuspecting male in and trap him with her sexuality. Eve was sent to be a companion to Adam, a type of pacifier and doll for his amusement. This image of women as dolls and as play things still prevails today.

      Because some of the gifts given by the gods were harmful instead of beneficial, Pandora was donned the 'beautiful evil.' She was created to please the eye and deceive mankind. "When he had made the beautiful evil to be the price for the blessing (of fire), he brought her out...to the place where the other gods and men were. And wonder took hold of the deathless gods and mortal men when they saw that which was sheer guile, not to be withstood by men." [3] According to Hesiod, Pandora's beauty made her dangerous to men.

      This idea of a 'beautiful evil' is still present in today's society. In the mass media viewers are constantly bombarded with images of beautiful women in sexual roles and evil roles. Women are often portrayed as gifts to men and then become detrimental to them. This 'good girl gone bad' image has its roots in Pandora's myth. Pandora was a perfect, beautiful woman when Epimetheus took her as his wife. But, just a little too curious. Her weakness and inferior mind led her to open the container and release all of the evils onto mankind.

      Eve also exemplified this image. She was deceptive and disobedient to God and allowed her temptations to guide her. She then tempted Adam into committing the original sin of eating the forbidden fruit. This bad girl image is portrayed as an exciting and positive attribute initially. But when the scenario turns grim for the male, this same attribute becomes negative. Pandora was created to bring peril to mankind, but was also created as a beautiful image to tempt her way into the home of Epimetheus.

      Eve was given to Adam as a wife, as someone to assist and be a companion for him. These women were given as gifts to men, as objects of desire and domestic slavery. God's words guide male superiority and female inferiority:





      Eve was created and taught to remain silent and act under the direction of
Adam.  Pandora was born silent and was endowed the gift of speech by a god.  A
god created her to punish another and she was to perform the task of punishing
mankind.  


      Pandora was sent to punish the human race because Prometheus gave them the
gift of fire that was stolen from the gods.  "But I will give men as the price
for fire an evil thing in which they may all  be glad of heart while they
embrace their own destruction." [5]  Epimetheus takes Pandora in, even after
Prometheus warns him.  The two marry and thus Pandora becomes the mother of all
women.  Before Pandora there was no evil, no sickness or death and no labor.
The world was perfect.  


      The vessel which contained all of the evils is said to have been a possession
of both Pandora and Epimetheus, as part of their home.  Other accounts claim
that Pandora brought the container with her to Earth.  


      The exact identification of this container is uncertain.  There are questions
as to whether this was a box or a jar, and exactly what this vessel contained.
The most prominent accounts cite the vessel as Pandora's box and the container
of all evils which she released onto humanity, leaving only hope behind.    




      Pandora was blamed for the all of the evils and problems present in the world
as well as for human mortality.  However, some accounts depict Pandora enticing
and seducing Epimethus in order to convince him to open the box.  These
accounts claim that Epimetheus did in fact open Pandora's box.  The most
prominent and well known accounts assert that Pandora opened the box.  There
are also accounts that the vessel contained all good and when opened, all the
good escaped and left only evil.










      The vessel itself which contained the evils has a symbolic value for women.
These empty vessels are connected with feminine activities and define the
status of women.  These objects serve as metaphors of views about women's
activities.  Such containers are associated with activities that are normally
deemed "women's work" such as: cleaning, organizing, carrying laundry, spinning
wool, etc.  The containers determine the ways in which females are viewed - in
the domestic realm.  These objects (baskets, boxes, chests, jars, etc.) define
women's roles as managing goods and in domestic production (cooking, making
clothes, cleaning, etc.)  They are labeled as female objects.  Within the
container, there was enclosure, confinement to one space - just as women were
and to some extent, still are confined to certain areas of life, within certain
realms.  They were locked into these areas and positions and were unable to
escape.


      These containers were usually made by men and created for certain uses.  An
analogous relationship between these objects and the creation of women exists.
Both Eve and Pandora were created by a male figure for a male and created for a
specific purpose.  Pandora was created from clay and water much in the same way
many of these containers were.  She was also an empty vessel until the gods
adorned her with gifts.  Behind her veil of textiles an jewels, there was an
empty clay core.  "Pandora is as much her raiment as she is her clay
construction, which not only carried no intrinsic worth, but was tantamount to
and empty vessel to be filled in pregnancy." [7] Until the containers were filled
with something or used for some purpose they were simply barren decorations.
These types of containers were also prevalent at weddings as symbols of
fertility.  The woman was valued for the monetary value of her finery, her
potential for monetary gain, but most importantly, as the potential bearer of
children.  If women did not bear children they were and still are today, seen
as failures and as 'broken women.'


      Zeus used Pandora as a curse on the human race.  That was her sole purpose.
This choice to use a woman as a punishment reinforces the patriarchal god
culture and their domination over women.  The creation of woman was seen as a
punishment.


      Eve was also blamed for the evils of the world and the mortality of human
beings.  She gave in to the temptations of the forbidden fruit, which
incidentally came from the tree of knowledge and life.  She was forbidden to
take from the tree of knowledge just as in today's world where women are still
excluded from higher education and professional realms.  They are being denied
the tree of knowledge.  Knowledge is power, which must be kept out of the hands
of women.  

      The god Hermes gave Pandora her name as well as her voice and deceitful
nature.  His role parallels that of the serpent to Eve.  Both creates a
situation in which the woman is destined to succumb to temptation.  Eve ate the
forbidden fruit and Pandora opened the forbidden container.  Hermes gave
Pandora a deceitful and curious nature so that she would be destined to open
the container of all evils.  The serpent tempts Eve to eat the fruit promising
her that she will not die from eating the fruit and that they shall be as gods
and their eyes be opened to good and evil.






      Adam and Eve did not know that they were naked until eating from the tree of
life.  Once they knew that they were naked, they were immediately ashamed and
covered themselves with leaves.  In Greek mythology, no respectable woman would
be unclothed.  Nakedness was reserved for prostitutes.  Therefore, once Pandora
rose from the earth she was immediately clothed by gifts of the gods.  


      Eve was punished by God by cursing her and all of womankind with painful
childbirth. Eve became the 'Mother of All Living' whereas Pandora became
'Mother of 'the race of women and female kind.'  Further, God punished Eve by
making her husband the ruler over her.  Adam was punished for giving in to
Eve's temptations.  The ground was cursed and he would have to work the land
the rest of the days of his life to bring forth food.  "In the sweat of thy
face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast
thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." [9]  


      Furthermore, because Eve is the 'Mother of All Living' we are all borne of her
sin and bear the consequences of her actions.  Each human pays for the action
of Eve as well as Pandora in Greek mythology.  They released all the evils upon
the earth and have thus cursed all future generations.  Sorrow, sin, pain,
death and all of evils were brought about by a woman - both Pandora and Eve.
It is interesting to note that Adam was cursed first for giving in to Eve's
seductive temptations and lastly for disobeying God.  This implies that it was
worse for Eve to disobey God than for Adam.  The action was the same, yet Eve
was scorned more harshly than Adam.


      The stories of Pandora and Eve laid the grounds for a patriarchal world view.
Because of their actions, women were now doomed to the stereotype of being
unable to resist temptation, while at the same time being sources of
temptation, and placing desire above all else, including directives of
authorities.  


      Their actions also link women's sex and moral inferiority.  Eve was created
from Adam and was only a secondary creation, immeasurable to the first.  The
following quotation qualifies this characterization of Eve as a secondary
being:



      His sleep resulted in Eve; Eve is man's 'sleep.'  Fourth, Adam is
substantially superior, since Eve is performed in Adam as part to
whole...The existence, essence and material substance of Eve 





	

      Herein lies the basis for the patriarchal society.  Man is head of the
household because he is the superior being.  He rules the woman and the woman
follows him.  Man has more strength, greater consciousness, reasoning skills
etc., and is thus better suited than women to rule over a household.  The woman
is passive as in Eve being 'man's sleep.'  She plays an inactive role.  Pandora
played an active role but was still acting under the direction of a male
ruler.


      Throughout history, this notion of women's inferiority has been fueled by
stories like Eve and Pandora.  Women belong to men instead of to themselves, or
even to God.  They were supposed to find their fulfillment in rearing children
and in serving their husbands.  Women were and still are valued for their
reproductive capabilities, sexuality, beauty and servitude.  Sexuality and
beauty played a large role in ancient myths, and in the cases of Eve and
Pandora.  They used their sexuality to tempt men, who were supposedly superior
but yet were too weak to resist two women.  In endless accounts of the story of
Adam and Eve, Eve is blamed for seducing Adam and tempting him to eat of the
forbidden fruit.  Pandora used her sexuality to lure Epimetheus to take her in.
Women's sexuality is perceived as powerful.  Yet, women are always shown using
this power for evil instead of good.


      Pandora and Eve present a double image of life and death.  Pandora is
associated with earth and mother goddess, giver of gifts, life maker as well as
a consumer of life.  She unleashed evil on the world bringing death and pain.
Eve was the mother of all mankind.  Yet at the same time, she committed the
original sin, bringing knowledge of good and evil to the world and being cast
from the Garden of Eden into a no longer perfect world.


      Both Pandora and Eve's stories help explain the existence of the present day
patriarchy.  These two images of women are images that are prevalent in today's
society.  As a consequence, the women of today are still viewed as inferiors,
as temptresses, using sexuality to achieve goals, being valued only for
reproductive capabilities and monetary worth.  


      On the other side of the coin, these images also serve as reminders of the
extreme patriarchy that we have been and still are a part of in our culture.
The stories of Pandora and Eve can be beneficial to our society in dispelling
the myths of placing blame solely on the females and being responsible for all
the sins and toils of the world.  By breaking down these myths into
unsubstantiated claims we can learn from Pandora and Eve and impress upon our
society that such claims are no longer an acceptable part of female history.
"The use of myth with all its attendant dangers can nonetheless serve as a
strategy for women in combating the order encoded in mythic excuses such as Eve
and Pandora for the continued subjugation of women." [11]  Perhaps with
consciousness raising of this nature and dismissal of patriarchal myths, our
society will be able to create a new status and identity for women.







Some Links to Pandora and Eve






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