Concept in Definition ABC

The stories of the mythology Greek have two dimensions, since they allow us to know an important part of Greek culture in the antiquity and, at the same time, they help us to unravel some keys to our own culture western.

The story of Pandora and her mysterious box

In Greek mythology Prometheus was one of the main titans and at the same time friend of the humans. Through deception Prometheus snatched fire from the god Zeus to offer it to men. Then Zeus decided to take revenge and ordered to create the first woman on Earth to give to Prometheus as a poisoned gift. The woman created was Pandora and the gods gave her beauty, wisdom and other talents.

Pandora also received a locked box with the order not to open it and to give it to Prometheus as a wedding gift

When Pandora and her box were presented to Prometheus, he rejected her and her box, as he suspected that there was something deceptive. Pandora left and approached Epimetheus, Prometheus' brother.

Despite Prometheus' warnings, her brother fell in love with Pandora's charms and then opened the box that she brought with her. From the box came all the evils that can affect men, such as war, famine and calamities. The evils spread rapidly across the Earth and in the box only the

hope as the only good that men could cling to.

The meaning of Pandora and Pandora's box in Western culture

There is no single interpretation about Pandora and her box, but there are several messages from the story mythological.

Pandora symbolizes the beautiful and perverse woman who is capable of leading men to perdition, something that reminds us of the biblical account of Adam and Eve and of many stories and legends in which the woman symbolizes the threat of evil.

Pandora's box represents the dangers that constantly haunt us. Thus, opening Pandora's box is a metaphor to refer to everything that is better not to do. Therefore, if someone opens Pandora's box he has to know that the consequences will be negative.

Other words and expressions inspired by Greek mythology

The story of Pandora and her box serves to remind us that there are different everyday words that are based on Greek mythology. In this sense, we speak of Phoenix, of the chimeras, of the Amazons, of the thread of Ariadna, of the Oedipus complex, of eroticism, of King Midas or of Morpheus, all of them terms whose true meaning is only understood through mythological stories Greek.

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Themes in Pandora