Pandora

Pandora (in Ancient Greek: Πανδώρα) was the first woman. Each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts. Zeus ordered Hephaestus to mold her out of earth as part of the punishment of mankind for Prometheus' theft of the secret of fire, and all the gods joined in offering her "seductive gifts", Aphrodite gave her beauty so Epimetheus couldn't resist her, Zeus gave her curiosity, Hermes gave her deceitfulness, Athena taught her weaving, and crafts.

Pandora is the sister-in-law of Prometheus and the wife of Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus. After Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to the mortals, the gods sealed all the horrors of the world in a box. It was beyond beautiful: inlaid woods of warm and burnished hues, white and amber diamonds encrusted to border the box, green emeral in plaits of golden leaf, purple amethyst with blood rubies and blue sapphires, along with white pearls gleaming in the extravagant sunlight. They gave it to Pandora as a wedding gift, knowing that she couldn't resist opening it because of her curiousity. Because Hermes gave her deceitfulness, she opened the box. In doing so, she released Hunger, Thirst, Poverty, Murder, Death, Jealousy and many other evil things into the world. Only Elpis, the spirit of Hope remained in the jar.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians
While, Prometheus is talking to Percy he gives him a gift, Pandora's pithos and dismisses the legends of Pandora's "box". He tells him when he gives up hope in the Battle of Manhattan against Kronos, just open the pithos and Elpis will be released, telling Prometheus and Kronos that they had surrendered. Percy then gives it to the goddes Hestia later when he revisits her in Olympus, stating that hope survives best at the hearth.

Trivia

 * Pandora, a moon of Saturn, is named after her.