Quite often we hear the phrase "open a Pandora's box."What does this mean?In some cases, this is used?And what is Pandora?Let's understand these subtleties.After a sensational film James Cameron's "Avatar," many believe that Pandora - a fictional planet on which live feliformia blue creatures.But the box of a planet was not, and could not be.Casket had Zeus, king of the divine Olympus.And what was there inside?Why idiom use in a negative sense?To do this, we need to recall the myth of Prometheus.It is this act of titanium, which disobeyed Zeus and gave people the fire, and went to the story of Pandora.How did it happen?Who know.
Greek Myths
Pandora is born as an instrument of revenge.In the ancient world the gods were not at a high standard of morality.The Greeks recognized for their idols anger, jealousy, lust, deceit and brutality.They were envious, the Olympian gods.And when they learned that despicable people got fire from Prometheus, who almost made them equal to celestials, then angry.The gods gathered in council and plans a terrible revenge.Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create out of the ground and water girl, Pandora.It was not the first woman on earth, so do not compare it with the biblical Eve.What is Pandora?The woman does not know what it is - an instrument of revenge, as it is now would say, "blind courier".The gods want to punish the first thing a family of Prometheus, and then the people who, they believed, for no reason at all got a gift fire.
comprehensive talent
So Hephaestus created from wet clay body Pandora.His wife, the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, has given an idol inexplicable charms.Pallas Athena wove for her rich clothes.Gera - the mother of the gods - has given her intelligence and the winged Hermes gave her ingenuity, resourcefulness and oratory.But Zeus breathed into her soul.The other gods also gave the girl something of its power.Hence the significance of the name comes Pandora.From the ancient Greek it means "all gifted".But the main gift, which, together with the soul Zeus gave her was insatiable curiosity.Further, the myths of Greece and Rome on Pandora and her casket diverge.According to the Greeks, which is in Hesiod's poem "Works and Days", satire brought a maid from Olympus to the ground straight to the house Epitemeya - younger brother of Prometheus.Casket she had with him - as a dowry from Zeus.Roman version is more logical: the box into the house Epitemeya brings artful Hermes-Mercury, leaving it on while their luggage.
What was in the casket?
About the contents of the box and the Greek and Roman myths coincide.There have been locked misfortune, disease and misery that Zeus-Jupiter wanted to unleash on the human race.And in this he was helped by the curiosity of Pandora.As penance, whose name, by the way, is translated as "thinking later," decided to marry a beautiful girl, the king of Olympus gave the bride a dowry chest, punishing never open it.Supreme God knew she was at the first opportunity peep inside.And the punishment for all the people will be the Pandora's box.Greek Myths tell how scared she slammed the lid and the bottom of the casket because hope remains.
Roman version
According to her, the gods would give an excellent first Pandora to Prometheus titanium.But he refused to accept such a gift, believing that it must be some kind of trick.Prometheus also discouraged from marrying his brother, but he was obstinate and said that such a beautiful creature like Pandora, can not bring the mountain.Casket arrived on the scene later, as penance already married heavenly girl.He brought the Mercury, who under the guise of the weary wanderer asked the owner of the house at the time of leaving a heavy burden.Penance agreed.But then leaped into Pandora's curiosity.It is close to the chest and began to examine it.And then she heard like someone whispering.What?Pandora put his ear to the casket.Indeed, the voice pleaded to open the lid.The poor girl could not resist the temptation and opened the trunk.At the same moment, the little creatures with brown wings began to bite and sting her, ran to the cries of the spouse and other people.Horrified Pandora shut the lid.But then she heard a faint voice: "Open to me, I will heal you from the wounds."The girl obeyed.That was the hope - the only consolation which gave a vengeful Zeus people with troubles and diseases.
Pandora's box: the value phraseologism
The Greeks and the Romans blamed on the existence of evil gods.Thus, as can be seen from the myth, open the chest, sent by Zeus, was hasty, fatal shagom.Zlo once released from a casket, not gather back.The expression "open a Pandora's box" was set phrases.Now it means that some action can lead to irreversible consequences, some kind of point of no return.A synonym for this phraseologism can serve another - "let the genie out of the bottle."He refers to the tales of "The Thousand and One Nights", which often appear evil demons locked in sealed containers.
Other Pandora
name meaning "all gifted" was popular in ancient Greece, so they anoint girls.It is known that so-called daughter of Erechtheus, the daughter of the king of Athens.Pandora is also an actor and comedy drama by Sophocles Nikofona.The myth about the creation of earth and water beautiful girl, for woven garments Athena proved tenacious, and entered into the European culture of modern times.In the XVII century, when they began to sell readymade garments, Pandora became known as mannequins to showcase samples of fashionable styles.But there are other meanings of the word.If you ask an astronomer what Pandora, he will immediately tell you that this is one of Saturn's moons.It revolves in the orbit of this planet with the "husband" - Epitemeem.And the name was named Pandora surprisingly tenacious virus, biologists found in ponds Chile and Australia.In addition, in the Republic of Khakassia, in Kuznetsk Ala Tau, on the White Iyusa there is a cave, which is called Pandora's Box.
