Pandora's box and original sin

[Ryan_Miller]

I’ve noticed an unusually close resemblance between the Greek legend and the genesis story. Is this Merely a coincidence, or did the story somehow reach the Greeks slightly lost in translation?

 

[Inquiringperson]

I’ve noticed an unusually close resemblance between the Greek legend and the genesis story. Is this Merely a coincidence, or did the story somehow reach the Greeks slightly lost in translation?

I think Pandora’s box shows how all religions have an element of the Truth, even if it is very little, but only our Catholic Faith holds all of the Truth.

 

[Jerusha]

Given the proximity and level of interaction and degree of similarity, I would say that the Greeks borrowed from the Biblical story.

 

[Lokabrenna]

I’ve noticed an unusually close resemblance between the Greek legend and the genesis story. Is this Merely a coincidence, or did the story somehow reach the Greeks slightly lost in translation?

The two cultures do share a common Indo-European heritage, so it makes sense that their stories would have similar motifs. Hesiod actually gives us two different stories (one in Theogony and another in Works and Days). There’s also speculation that Pandora’s jar originally contained blessings, not evils, and even that she was a pre-Hesiodic goddess (this I find unlikely, but I’m hardly a classical scholar).

 

[Nine_Two]

There are certainly similarities between the story, although IIRC Pandora herself was a curse for an earlier transgression of man, while Eve was a gift to Adam.

In other words, in the Greek world view sin predates the opening of the jar (or box as it is popularly known), while in the Hebrew worldview sin came among man with the eating of the fruit.

Another difference is that while hope remained after Pandora opened her Jar, eating the fruit only resulted in a curse. While hope of restitution would come along much later, it is not present in the Genesis account.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

It seems likely that it was derived from hearing the Genesis story.

However, since the Greeks are also descendents of Adam and Eve, it could have been handed down through their line of descent.

Or their philosophers must have realized that their is a basic flaw in humanity, it could have been created to explain that flaw.

 

[Nine_Two]

Here’s the story of Pandora, from Hesiod’s Works and Days. My apologies for the archaic language, but I wanted a translation I could cut and paste, and that means it has to be old enough to be out of copyright:

For the gods keep hidden from men the means of life. Else you would easily do work enough in a day to supply you for a full year even without working; soon would you put away your rudder over the smoke, and the fields worked by ox and sturdy mule would run to waste. But Zeus in the anger of his heart hid it, because Prometheus the crafty deceived him; therefore he planned sorrow and mischief against men. He hid fire; but that the noble son of Iapetus stole again for men from Zeus the counsellor in a hollow fennel-stalk, so that Zeus who delights in thunder did not see it. But afterwards Zeus who gathers the clouds said to him in anger:

`Son of Iapetus, surpassing all in cunning, you are glad that you have outwitted me and stolen fire – a great plague to you yourself and to men that shall be. But I will give men as the price for fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they embrace their own destruction.’

So said the father of men and gods, and laughed aloud. And he bade famous Hephaestus make haste and mix earth with water and to put in it the voice and strength of human kind, and fashion a sweet, lovely maiden-shape, like to the immortal goddesses in face; and Athene to teach her needlework and the weaving of the varied web; and golden Aphrodite to shed grace upon her head and cruel longing and cares that weary the limbs. And he charged Hermes the guide, the Slayer of Argus, to put in her a shameless mind and a deceitful nature.

So he ordered. And they obeyed the lord Zeus the son of Cronos. Forthwith the famous Lame God moulded clay in the likeness of a modest maid, as the son of Cronos purposed. And the goddess bright-eyed Athene girded and clothed her, and the divine Graces and queenly Persuasion put necklaces of gold upon her, and the rich-haired Hours crowned her head with spring flowers. And Pallas Athene bedecked her form with all manners of finery. Also the Guide, the Slayer of Argus, contrived within her lies and crafty words and a deceitful nature at the will of loud thundering Zeus, and the Herald of the gods put speech in her. And he called this woman Pandora (2), because all they who dwelt on Olympus gave each a gift, a plague to men who eat bread.

But when he had finished the sheer, hopeless snare, the Father sent glorious Argus-Slayer, the swift messenger of the gods, to take it to Epimetheus as a gift. And Epimetheus did not think on what Prometheus had said to him, bidding him never take a gift of Olympian Zeus, but to send it back for fear it might prove to be something harmful to men. But he took the gift, and afterwards, when the evil thing was already his, he understood.

For ere this the tribes of men lived on earth remote and free from ills and hard toil and heavy sickness which bring the Fates upon men; for in misery men grow old quickly. But the woman took off the great lid of the jar (3) with her hands and scattered all these and her thought caused sorrow and mischief to men. Only Hope remained there in an unbreakable home within under the rim of the great jar, and did not fly out at the door; for ere that, the lid of the jar stopped her, by the will of Aegis-holding Zeus who gathers the clouds. But the rest, countless plagues, wander amongst men; for earth is full of evils and the sea is full. Of themselves diseases come upon men continually by day and by night, bringing mischief to mortals silently; for wise Zeus took away speech from them. So is there no way to escape the will of Zeus.

 

[Jerusha]

WOW!! I have only read modern adaptations. That one contains even more Biblical parallels. Thank you.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

The November-December 2011 issue of Touchstone has an article, Ancient Crossroads by Louis Markos, which discusses the similarities and differences in Greek tragedies and Judeo-Christian teachings and practices. In particular he discusses Aeschylus’ Prometheus, Sophocles’ Oedipus and Euripides" Hippolytus. He suggests that this was God’s way of preparing the gentiles for the Christian message.

Unfortunately it is not available on-line.

 

[Nine_Two]

The November-December 2011 issue of Touchstone has an article, Ancient Crossroads by Louis Markos, which discusses the similarities and differences in Greek tragedies and Judeo-Christian teachings and practices. In particular he discusses Aeschylus’ Prometheus, Sophocles’ Oedipus and Euripides" Hippolytus. He suggests that this was God’s way of preparing the gentiles for the Christian message.

Unfortunately it is not available on-line.

I was surprised when I read “The Republic” how in line it is with Christian teachings. Particualrly insofar as it talks about the gods.