In greek mythology there are two versions of the story of Pandora's Box. In one, the box contains plagues of sin, passion, greed, war, and horrors so indescribable. When Pandora's curiosity overcomes her, she opens it and all of the miseries and evils escape. They chaotically fly about and inflict the world.
In the second story, the box is a jar containing other-worldly blessings which were later lost to humans and misused when she opened the box.

The Titan Prometheus had stolen the blessings of fire from his fellow gods and given it to humans. In vengeance Zeus ordered the gods to produce a woman whom no creature could possibly resist and she was to bring about the ruin of man. The god Hephaestus created Pandora (meaning all-gifted) at the request of Zeus. She was endowed with every attribute of beauty and goodness. They bestowed her with gifts and a mysterious box, instructing her never to open it. She was sent to Epimetheus to become his bride. He was very happy to have her for his wife, despite warnings from his brother Prometheus to never accept anything from Zeus. Pandora's playful curiosity would constantly tempt her. One day she knelt in front of the box and slightly cracked open the lid for a peek inside... nothing. She then opened the box from which flew innumerable plagues and sorrows for the body and mind, bringing vice to mortal paradise. In terror, she tried to shut the box, but only Hope remained. It was the one good thing among the many evils the box had once contained. Hope stayed to comfort humanity in its misfortunes.