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How did the myth of Pandora appear in Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days?

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Painting by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo showing crowds pulling the large wooden Trojan Horse into the city of Troy, with excited figures and ancient buildings in the background. — Greek mythology Oil on canvas by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, c. 1760; in the National Gallery, London.

In Greek mythology, the story of Pandora, the first woman, appears in the works of Hesiod as a narrative concerning the origins of human suffering and the relationship between gods and mortals.12

Theogony

In the Theogony, Hesiod describes Pandora’s creation as a direct response by Zeus to the actions of Prometheus. After Prometheus stole fire from heaven to give to humanity, Zeus sought to counteract this gift. He commissioned Hephaestus to fashion a woman from earth, upon whom the gods bestowed various gifts.12

Works and Days

In Works and Days, the narrative expands to explain the presence of evil in the world. Pandora is sent to Epimetheus, who ignores his brother Prometheus’s warning and marries her. Pandora possesses a jar containing all manner of misery and evil. Upon opening the vessel, she releases these afflictions upon the earth; only Hope remains trapped inside when the lid is closed.12

While often referred to as a "box" today, this is a 16th-century mistranslation; the original Greek text specifies a jar.12