The myth of Pandora's box describes how Pandora, the first woman created by the gods, opened a box she had been told never to open, releasing all illness and hardship into the world. Pandora was created by Zeus as punishment for Prometheus stealing fire from the gods. She was given many gifts by different gods but was also made curious. When Pandora opened the box given to her by Zeus, all evils escaped except for one thing left inside - Hope. The myth explains why evil exists in the world and serves as a warning about defying or disobeying the gods.