The Temple of the Muses

P A N D O R A.

...not; captivated by Pandora's beauty and perfections, he took her in marriage. But hardly had he opened the box The author uses "box," though in the original Greek of Hesiod, it was a pithos or large storage jar., than the ailments and miseries flew out in heaps, and spread themselves over the world. Hope alone remained sitting at the bottom of the disastrous box.

EXPLANATION OF THE FABLE.

The opinions of authors regarding the subject of this Pandora are divided. Some say that Hesiod intended to show us in this Fable the power and effects of Nature and Art; and that the marriage of Pandora with Epimetheus, who was a skillful Sculptor, teaches us that to succeed in a work, one must pair art with nature. It would perhaps not be very difficult to overturn most conjectures made regarding this Fable. However, without dwelling on that, we shall be satisfied to remark that one can perceive enough distinct features in it of the fall of our first Ancestors, and the temptation of Adam by his wife Eve. A Tradition which has undoubtedly come from the Jews to the Egyptians, and from them again to the Greeks; and which among the latter has shared the same fate as the others.

We have seen in the History of the Titans the conduct which Jupiter The Roman name for the Greek king of the gods, Zeus. held toward the Princes, his kin. Prometheus, his first Cousin, was treated no better by him than the others. Forced to leave his Fatherland, he went to Scythia An ancient region in central Eurasia.. The inhabitants of that land were then still savages. But he tamed and softened their wild manners, gave them laws, and taught them agriculture and other arts useful for life. The benefits which they had drawn from Prometheus while he stayed among them gave occasion to say that he had formed man. It was added here that Minerva The Roman name for Athena, goddess of wisdom. had given life to them, because she is the Goddess of the Sciences. Others believe that this Fable arose because Prometheus was the first who made Statues of clay; and that he formed them with such art as if they were alive.

It has been further fabled that he stole the Heavenly fire, because he taught Men to strike fire from flints, or because he unfolded and taught the nature of Lightning. This is the common opinion. However, such a necessary thing as fire, which is so often produced from natural causes, must have been known from the earliest times. A modern writer original: hedendaegsch Schryver brings forth a more probable conjecture. He believes that this Fable arose because Jupiter, to deprive the Titans of the means to provide themselves with weapons, had the smithies closed or destroyed; and that Prometheus, who had retreated to Scythia, had re-established them there.

There are Authors who say that Prometheus climbed to Heaven for no other reason than to fetch fire to give to the men whom Jupiter had deprived of it, to avenge himself on them because of Prometheus’s designs.

N O T E S.

...name means burning; which in his judgment is applicable to Epimetheus: for through the history of Pandora they intended to depict his burning passion for women.
5. SKILLFUL SCULPTOR.] This has given some Poets the opportunity to invent that he was changed into an Ape.
6. TAUGHT THEM ETC.] They could have no better Master in this. All of Antiquity speaks of him as a very

experienced Prince; and Aeschylus (a) even goes so far as to hold him as the Inventor of all arts.
7. A MODERN WRITER.] Mr. Le Clerc in his notes on the 563rd and 566th verse of Hesiod's Theogony original: Theogonia. A similar example is found in 1 Samuel 13:19, where it is said "that there was no smith found throughout all the Land of Israel: for the Philistines had said: Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears."