Pandora
3 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Pandora. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
in Greek mythology, the first woman. She is the Eve of the ancients. According to one account she was made by Jupiter and sent to Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus to punish them for stealing fire from heaven. No pains were spared to make her perfect. Every god contributed. Venus gave her beauty; Mercury, the art of persuasion; Apollo gave her the gift of music. Prometheus was somewhat cautious about accepting a woman, but his brother was delighted to take the chances. The latter had a number of articles in a jar which he cautioned Pandora not to open. Pandora, however, could not restrain her curiosity. One day, when quite alone, she lifted the cover and peeped in. Out flew a number of the plagues of man, such as colic, gout, and rheumatism for his body; envy, spite, and revenge for his mind. Pandora replaced the lid quietly, but everything had escaped save hope. Hope still remains to this day to comfort mortals in the midst of their distress. A more common version of the legend runs to the effect that, on her wedding day, Jupiter gave Pandora a box in which each god had inclosed a blessing. Pandora, being filled with curiosity, opened the box incautiously and permitted the escape of all the blessings save hope. Reference to Pandora's box is frequent in literature. The poet Longfellow uses the legend in his Masque of Pandora: Fever of the heart and brain, Sorrow, pestilence, and pain, Moans of anguish, maniac laughter, All the evils that hereafter Shall afflict and vex mankind, All into the air have risen From the chambers of their prison; Only Hope remains behind.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
the first mortal female, according to Hesiod. She was made by out of clay, at the command of Vulcan Jupiter, who wished to punish the impiety of Prometheus by giving him a companion. When the statue was animated, each god and goddess bestowed on her some special charm or attribute, beauty, grace, music, wisdom, fascination, and eloquence; while Jove himself presented her with the "Pandora's box," , which could be full of secret wonders only opened by the mortal she selected for her husband. Mercury carried her to earth, and presented her to Prometheus, who refused her. His brother, however, asked for and obtained Pandora for his wife, upon which she presented sented him with the casket. When Pandora opened the lid, a host of evils flew out and spread themselves over the world; and the consequences would have been still more fatal, had there not been Hope at the bottom, to ameliorate the pains and sufferings of life. In zoölogy, a genus of bivalve mollusks, having unequivalved shells, found a considerable depth in the sandy shores of Europe and of the Pacific Ocean. In astronomy, an asteroid, discovered by G. Searle in 1858. In music, a kind of lute, furnished with strings of brass.
1000 Classical Characters (1900)
A celebrated woman; the first mortal female that ever lived, according to Hesiod. She was made of clay by Vulcan, and having received life, all the gods made presents to her. Venus gave her beauty and the art of pleasing; the Graces gave her the power of captivating; Apollo taught her how to sing; Mercury instructed her in eloquence and brought her to Epimetheus, who made her his wife, forgetting the advice of his brother Prometheus , namely, not to receive any gifts from the gods. Pandora brought with her from heaven a box containing every human ill, upon the opening of which they all escaped and spread over the earth. Hope alone remained at the bottom of the box. 2026 Editor's Note: Hesiod’s original account describes Pandora opening a large storage jar (pithos), not a box; the familiar “Pandora’s box” phrase arose from a 16th‑century mistranslation by Erasmus. The jar was earlier said to hold blessings rather than exclusively evils. (Ed: BR 2026-06-15)