Pandora and Eve

Pandora and Eve

It's not hard to spot the similarities between the Greek first woman, Pandora, and the first woman from the Judeo-Christian tradition, Eve. The main overlap? Both women are allegedly responsible for releasing evil into the world.

Oops on both counts.

Also in both cases, the oh-so-innocent male of the species is brought down by a female who lets curiosity get the best of her, ultimately cursing all of humanity for all of time. P.S. Plenty of people—especially these days—have some bones to pick with this reading.

The similarities between the two stories has led many people to speculate that they evolved from the same primordial myth way back in the day. But there is one interesting difference to keep in mind: While Pandora was created to be a curse on mankind, Eve was originally intended to be a gift. The story goes that God created her from Adam's rib so the dude could have some company. In the end, though, Eve pulls a total Pandora.

Check out our discussion of Adam and Eve, and tell us: are Pandora and Eve long lost cousins?