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The myth of Pandora's box is primarily associated with the Greek epic poem, the *Odyssey*.
Answer: False
The myth of Pandora's box is primarily associated with Hesiod's didactic poem, *Works and Days*, not the *Odyssey*.
According to Hesiod's account, Pandora's curiosity led her to open a container, releasing evils upon humanity.
Answer: True
Hesiod's narrative explicitly states that Pandora's curiosity compelled her to open the container, thereby releasing a multitude of evils upon the human population.
When Pandora opened the container, only Hope remained inside.
Answer: True
According to Hesiod's account, upon Pandora's hasty closing of the container, the sole item remaining inside was 'elpis,' typically translated as Hope.
Zeus gave Pandora to Epimetheus as a gift to reward Prometheus for stealing fire.
Answer: False
According to Hesiod's account, Zeus presented Pandora to Epimetheus not as a reward, but as a form of divine retribution against Prometheus for his theft of fire from the gods.
Epimetheus, whose name means 'Forethought,' accepted Pandora despite warnings.
Answer: False
Epimetheus, whose name signifies 'Afterthought,' accepted Pandora despite prior warnings, highlighting his characteristic tendency to act without sufficient prior consideration.
Pandora herself was created from clay, mirroring the material of the 'pithos' jar.
Answer: True
Scholars observe a significant analogy between Pandora, who was fashioned from clay by the gods, and the clay 'pithos' jar from which evils were dispensed, linking themes of creation and containment.
Homer's *Iliad* mentions only one urn in Zeus's palace containing evil gifts.
Answer: False
Homer's *Iliad* describes two urns in Zeus's palace, one containing good gifts and the other containing evil gifts, mixed by Zeus to determine human fortune.
Epimetheus's name signifies 'Afterthought,' highlighting his tendency to act without prior consideration.
Answer: True
Epimetheus's name signifies 'Afterthought,' underscoring his characteristic tendency to act without sufficient prior consideration, which led him to accept Pandora despite warnings.
In Hesiod's account, Pandora was presented to Epimetheus as a punishment for Prometheus's theft of fire.
Answer: True
According to Hesiod's account, Zeus presented Pandora to Epimetheus as a form of divine retribution against Prometheus for his theft of fire from the gods.
Which Greek poem is primarily associated with the myth of Pandora's box?
Answer: Works and Days
The myth of Pandora's box is primarily recounted in Hesiod's didactic poem, *Works and Days*.
According to Hesiod's myth, what was the sole item left inside Pandora's container after she closed it?
Answer: Hope
Hesiod's account states that after Pandora opened the container and evils were released, the sole item remaining inside when she closed it was 'elpis,' typically translated as Hope.
Why did Zeus give Pandora to Epimetheus, according to Hesiod?
Answer: As a punishment for Prometheus stealing fire
According to Hesiod, Zeus presented Pandora to Epimetheus as a form of divine retribution against Prometheus for his theft of fire from the gods.
What does the name Epimetheus mean, which is relevant to his acceptance of Pandora?
Answer: Afterthought
Epimetheus's name signifies 'Afterthought,' underscoring his characteristic tendency to act without sufficient prior consideration, which led him to accept Pandora despite warnings.
What analogy do scholars observe between Pandora and the container from which evils were released?
Answer: Both were created from clay.
Scholars observe a significant analogy between Pandora, who was fashioned from clay by the gods, and the clay 'pithos' jar from which evils were dispensed, linking themes of creation and containment.
What does the phrase 'he whom mistakes made wise' refer to in Hesiod's account?
Answer: Epimetheus
This phrase refers to Epimetheus, whose name signifies 'Afterthought,' underscoring his characteristic tendency to act without sufficient prior consideration, leading to mistakes that ultimately impart lessons.
The story of Pandora's box is primarily a myth explaining:
Answer: The origin of evils and suffering in the world
The myth of Pandora's box serves as an etiology, primarily explaining the origin of evils, suffering, and hardship in the human world.
The original container in the Pandora myth was a small wooden box.
Answer: False
The original container described in Hesiod's *Works and Days* was not a small wooden box ('pyxis'), but rather a large storage jar known as a 'pithos'.
The term 'Pandora's box' was mistranslated from 'pithos' to 'pyxis' by the ancient Greek poet Homer.
Answer: False
The term 'Pandora's box' originated from a mistranslation of the Greek word 'pithos' (a large jar) to 'pyxis' (a box), a linguistic shift generally attributed to the 16th-century humanist Erasmus, not Homer.
The adjective 'arrektoisi' (unbreakable) applied to Pandora's jar suggests it was designed to easily break.
Answer: False
The adjective 'arrektoisi,' meaning 'unbreakable,' applied to Pandora's jar, suggests its function as a secure container designed to restrain its contents, rather than implying fragility.
The adjective 'arrektoisi' applied to Pandora's jar suggests it was fragile and easily broken.
Answer: False
The adjective 'arrektoisi,' meaning 'unbreakable,' applied to Pandora's jar, suggests its function as a secure container designed to restrain its contents, rather than implying fragility.
What was the original Greek term for the container Pandora opened, which was later mistranslated?
Answer: Pithos
The original Greek term for the container in Hesiod's myth was 'pithos,' a large storage jar, which was later mistranslated as 'pyxis' (box).
Who is credited with the 16th-century mistranslation of 'pithos' to 'pyxis'?
Answer: Erasmus
The humanist scholar Erasmus is generally credited with the 16th-century mistranslation of 'pithos' to 'pyxis' in his commentary on the Pandora myth.
The adjective 'arrektoisi' applied to Pandora's jar in Hesiod's text means:
Answer: Unbreakable
The adjective 'arrektoisi,' meaning 'unbreakable,' applied to Pandora's jar, suggests its function as a secure container designed to restrain its contents, rather than implying fragility.
The word 'elpis' found in the myth can only be translated as 'hope'.
Answer: False
The Greek word 'elpis' is complex and can be translated not only as 'hope' but also as 'expectation' or 'anticipation,' leading to varied interpretations of its role in the myth.
The pessimistic interpretation of the myth suggests that Hope was released along with the evils.
Answer: False
A pessimistic interpretation suggests that if the jar is viewed as a prison, then hope, as an expectation of good, is withheld from humanity, leaving them to face evils without its solace.
An optimistic interpretation views the jar as preserving Hope for humanity's benefit.
Answer: True
An optimistic interpretation posits that the jar, while a prison for evils, serves as a repository for Hope, thereby preserving it as a benefit for humankind.
A minority interpretation construes 'moune Elpis' as 'abundant hope'.
Answer: False
A minority interpretation construes 'moune Elpis' not as 'abundant hope,' but rather as 'empty hope' or 'baseless hope,' suggesting a more pessimistic outlook.
The optimistic interpretation of Pandora's myth suggests that hope was lost forever when the box was opened.
Answer: False
The optimistic interpretation of Pandora's myth suggests that hope was preserved for humanity, rather than being lost forever when the box was opened.
The phrase 'moune Elpis' in a minority interpretation suggests that humanity is plagued by evils and persists in a futile hope.
Answer: True
In a minority interpretation, 'moune Elpis' is construed not as 'only hope,' but as 'empty hope' or 'baseless hope,' implying that humanity faces evils while clinging to a futile expectation.
Which interpretation suggests that 'elpis' (hope) remaining in the jar is a curse for humanity?
Answer: The pessimistic interpretation
A pessimistic interpretation suggests that if the jar is viewed as a prison, then hope, as an expectation of good, is withheld from humanity, leaving them to face evils without its solace.
What does the minority interpretation of 'moune Elpis' suggest about hope?
Answer: It is empty or baseless.
In a minority interpretation, 'moune Elpis' is construed not as 'only hope,' but as 'empty hope' or 'baseless hope,' implying that humanity faces evils while clinging to a futile expectation.
The optimistic interpretation of Pandora's myth suggests that the jar became:
Answer: A residence for Hope, preserving it for humans
An optimistic interpretation posits that the jar, while a prison for evils, serves as a repository for Hope, thereby preserving it as a benefit for humankind.
The Aesopic fable recorded by Babrius states that all blessings were released from the jar, leaving only evils behind.
Answer: False
In the Aesopic fable recorded by Babrius, a 'foolish man' opened the jar, releasing all the blessings, with only hope remaining to promise the return of good things.
Renaissance writer Andrea Alciato alluded to the Pandora myth in his collection of proverbs, the Adagia.
Answer: False
Andrea Alciato alluded to the Pandora myth in his collection of emblems, the *Emblemata*, not the *Adagia* (which was Erasmus's work).
Giulio Bonasone's engraving depicted Epimetheus opening the jar, with virtues flying upwards and Hope remaining.
Answer: True
Giulio Bonasone's 16th-century engraving illustrates Epimetheus lifting the lid of a jar, from which female figures representing Roman virtues ascend, while Hope remains on the lip.
The inscription 'NESCITUR IGNESCITUR' on Rossetti's painting means 'known it burns'.
Answer: False
The inscription 'NESCITUR IGNESCITUR' on Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting means 'unknown it burns,' symbolizing the mysterious and potentially destructive nature of unleashed forces.
Later interpretations of the Pandora myth often shift the blame for opening the box from Pandora to Epimetheus or Mercury.
Answer: True
While Hesiod focuses on Pandora's curiosity, subsequent interpretations, particularly in Renaissance art and 18th-century French plays, have frequently shifted the culpability to figures like Epimetheus or Mercury.
The 18th-century French plays titled 'Pandora's Box' focused on the mythological origins of the evils.
Answer: False
The 18th-century French plays titled 'Pandora's Box' primarily focused on the social and human effects of the evils released, rather than their mythological origins.
In Lesage's play, Mercury, disguised as Harlequin, actively released evils upon Pandora's village.
Answer: True
In Alain-René Lesage's play, Mercury plays an active role, disguising himself as Harlequin and instigating the release of evils, thereby contributing to social disruption.
Pierre Brumoy's play about Pandora's Box was subtitled 'curiosity rewarded'.
Answer: False
Pierre Brumoy's 1743 play was subtitled 'curiosity punished' (*la curiosité punie*), emphasizing the negative consequences of seeking forbidden knowledge or engaging in actions driven by curiosity.
Frank Sayers' monodrama depicted Pandora releasing strife, care, and pride, with only Hope remaining to comfort her.
Answer: True
In Frank Sayers' 1790 monodrama, Pandora releases evils such as strife, care, and pride, with the voice of Hope ultimately remaining to offer comfort.
In Leland's poem, Pandora shut the lid too early, leaving humanity with hope but no evils.
Answer: False
In Samuel Phelps Leland's poem, Pandora's premature closing of the lid resulted in humanity being left with all the evils but without the solace of hope.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting suggests that Hope, if still in the box, is definitively dead.
Answer: False
Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting and accompanying sonnet explore the ambiguity of whether Hope, if still contained, is alive or dead, rather than definitively stating it is dead.
The sphinx in Lawrence Alma-Tadema's watercolor symbolizes Pandora's potential for gaining harmful knowledge.
Answer: True
The sphinx in Alma-Tadema's watercolor is interpreted as symbolizing Pandora's potential for gaining harmful knowledge, linking her to the enigmatic and potentially dangerous nature associated with sphinxes.
In Lesage's play, Mercury's role was passive, merely observing Pandora's actions.
Answer: False
In Alain-René Lesage's play, Mercury plays an active role, disguising himself as Harlequin and instigating the release of evils, thereby contributing to social disruption.
Brumoy's play featured seven flatterers and seven bringers of evil unleashed from Pandora's box.
Answer: True
Pierre Brumoy's play, 'Pandora's Box,' featured seven flatterers (such as the Genius of Honours and Pleasures) followed by seven bringers of evil (including envy, remorse, and avarice) unleashed from the box.
The sphinx in Alma-Tadema's painting is depicted as Pandora's protector.
Answer: False
The sphinx in Lawrence Alma-Tadema's watercolor is interpreted as symbolizing Pandora's potential for gaining harmful knowledge and the enigmatic nature of the femme fatale, rather than acting as her protector.
The evils released in the 18th-century French plays were primarily physical ailments.
Answer: False
The 18th-century French plays focused on abstract evils that disrupted social harmony, such as ambition, greed, envy, and hatred, rather than primarily physical ailments.
The phrase 'Malo accepto stultus sapit' means that a wise person becomes wiser through trouble.
Answer: False
The Latin phrase 'Malo accepto stultus sapit' translates to 'A fool becomes wise through trouble,' a concept used by Erasmus in relation to the Pandora myth.
Gabriele Faerno's poem described hope as the sole remaining 'universal blessing' after others fled the jar.
Answer: True
Gabriele Faerno's poem discussed the origin of hope as the sole remaining 'universal blessing' after other positive forces had departed from the jar.
The inscription 'NESCITUR IGNESCITUR' on Rossetti's painting implies that the unleashed forces are easily understood.
Answer: False
The inscription 'NESCITUR IGNESCITUR' on Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting means 'unknown it burns,' symbolizing the mysterious and potentially destructive nature of the unleashed forces, not their comprehensibility.
In Samuel Phelps Leland's poem, Pandora's early closing of the lid resulted in humanity being left with all evils and no hope.
Answer: True
In Samuel Phelps Leland's poem, Pandora's premature closing of the lid meant that she 'let loose all curses on mankind Without a hope to mitigate their pain,' leaving humanity with evils but without the solace of hope.
The molded sphinx in Alma-Tadema's watercolor is associated with wisdom and good fortune.
Answer: False
The sphinx in Lawrence Alma-Tadema's watercolor is associated with the potential for gaining harmful knowledge and the enigmatic nature of the femme fatale, not with wisdom and good fortune.
According to the Aesopic fable recorded by Babrius, what happened when a 'foolish man' opened the jar?
Answer: All blessings were released, leaving only hope.
In the Aesopic fable recorded by Babrius, a 'foolish man' opened the jar, releasing all the blessings, with only hope remaining to promise the return of good things.
What does the inscription 'NESCITUR IGNESCITUR' on Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting symbolize?
Answer: The mysterious and potentially dangerous nature of unleashed forces
The inscription 'NESCITUR IGNESCITUR' on Dante Gabriel Rossetti's painting means 'unknown it burns,' symbolizing the mysterious and potentially destructive nature of the unleashed forces, not their comprehensibility.
In the 18th-century French plays, what was the primary focus regarding the evils released from Pandora's box?
Answer: Their impact on social harmony and human passions
The 18th-century French plays focused on abstract evils that disrupted social harmony, such as ambition, greed, envy, and hatred, rather than primarily physical ailments or their mythological origins.
What was the subtitle of Pierre Brumoy's 1743 play about Pandora's Box?
Answer: Curiosity Punished
Pierre Brumoy's 1743 play was subtitled 'curiosity punished' (*la curiosité punie*), emphasizing the negative consequences of seeking forbidden knowledge or engaging in actions driven by curiosity.
In Frank Sayers' monodrama, which of the following was NOT explicitly mentioned as released by Pandora?
Answer: Jealousy
In Frank Sayers' monodrama, Pandora releases strife, care, pride, hatred, and despair. Jealousy is not explicitly listed among these released evils.
What consequence did Samuel Phelps Leland's poem attribute to Pandora shutting the lid too early?
Answer: Humanity received hope but was left with all the evils.
In Samuel Phelps Leland's poem, Pandora's premature closing of the lid meant that humanity was left with all the evils but without the solace of hope.
What does the presence of a sphinx on the urn in Lawrence Alma-Tadema's watercolor suggest?
Answer: Pandora's potential to gain harmful knowledge
The sphinx in Lawrence Alma-Tadema's watercolor is interpreted as symbolizing Pandora's potential for gaining harmful knowledge and the enigmatic nature of the femme fatale, rather than acting as her protector.
In Alain-René Lesage's 1721 play 'Pandora's Box,' what role did Mercury play?
Answer: He disguised himself as Harlequin and unleashed evils.
In Alain-René Lesage's play, Mercury plays an active role, disguising himself as Harlequin and instigating the release of evils, thereby contributing to social disruption.
Which of the following was NOT among the evils explicitly mentioned as released in Alain-René Lesage's play?
Answer: Joy
In Alain-René Lesage's play, evils such as ambition, competition, greed, envy, jealousy, hatred, injustice, treachery, and ill-health were unleashed. Joy was not among them.
What does the sphinx symbolize in Lawrence Alma-Tadema's watercolor of Pandora?
Answer: The femme fatale and harmful knowledge
The sphinx in Lawrence Alma-Tadema's watercolor is interpreted as symbolizing Pandora's potential for gaining harmful knowledge and the enigmatic nature of the femme fatale, rather than acting as her protector.
What was the primary focus of the 18th-century French plays titled 'Pandora's Box'?
Answer: The social and human effects of the released evils
The 18th-century French plays focused on abstract evils that disrupted social harmony, such as ambition, greed, envy, and hatred, rather than primarily physical ailments or their mythological origins.
Pithoi were exclusively used for storing grain in ancient Greece.
Answer: False
While pithoi were used for storing grain, they also served other purposes, including ritualistic use as burial containers for human bodies in ancient Greece.
The idiom 'to open a Pandora's box' means to start something that seems beneficial but turns out to be a curse.
Answer: True
The idiom 'to open a Pandora's box' signifies initiating an action that precipitates a cascade of unforeseen and often intractable problems, or starting something that appears beneficial but ultimately proves to be a curse.
The concept of the 'ages of man' in Greek mythology contrasts with the Pandora myth by describing a progression from hardship to utopia.
Answer: False
The concept of the 'ages of man' in Greek mythology describes a progression from a utopian Golden Age to subsequent ages of increasing hardship, which contrasts with the Pandora myth's narrative of the introduction of evils into an existing human condition.
The Keres were benevolent spirits associated with good fortune in Greek mythology.
Answer: False
The Keres in Greek mythology were female spirits associated with violent or cruel death, representing the kind of destructive forces unleashed by Pandora's actions.
Hubris, excessive pride, is not relevant to the interpretation of Pandora's actions.
Answer: False
Hubris, or excessive pride, is considered relevant to the interpretation of Pandora's actions, as her curiosity and defiance of divine will could be seen as a form of hubris, challenging divine order.
Kleos, meaning glory, is the primary outcome sought by heroes and contrasts with the suffering caused by Pandora's box.
Answer: True
Kleos, referring to glory or renown, is a central pursuit in Greek heroic culture. This contrasts sharply with Pandora's action, which brought widespread suffering rather than glory.
Xenia, the concept of hospitality, is central to the Pandora myth, emphasizing the dangers of welcoming strangers.
Answer: False
While not explicitly central, the concept of xenia (hospitality) is tangentially relevant to the Pandora myth, as Pandora's arrival as a stranger into Epimetheus's household touches upon themes of trust and welcome.
Katabasis refers to a journey to the heavens in Greek mythology.
Answer: False
In Greek mythology, 'katabasis' refers specifically to a journey to the underworld or the realm of the dead, not to the heavens.
The symbolic meaning of Pandora's box includes being a source of great and unpredictable troubles.
Answer: True
The symbolic meaning of Pandora's box encompasses its role as a source of great and unpredictable troubles, signifying an action or situation that unleashes a cascade of unforeseen difficulties.
The Greek philosophical concept of the 'golden mean' advocates for extreme actions.
Answer: False
The Greek philosophical concept of the 'golden mean' advocates for moderation and avoidance of extremes, a principle that contrasts with unchecked actions like Pandora's.
What is the common modern interpretation of the idiom 'to open a Pandora's box'?
Answer: To start an action that leads to numerous unforeseen problems
The idiom 'to open a Pandora's box' signifies initiating an action that precipitates a cascade of unforeseen and often intractable problems, or starting something that appears beneficial but ultimately proves to be a curse.
The Keres in Greek mythology were spirits associated with:
Answer: Violent or cruel death
The Keres in Greek mythology were female spirits associated with violent or cruel death, representing the kind of destructive forces unleashed by Pandora's actions.
What concept in Greek philosophy advocates for moderation and avoiding extremes, contrasting with Pandora's actions?
Answer: The Golden Mean
The Greek philosophical concept of the 'golden mean' advocates for moderation and avoidance of extremes, a principle that contrasts with unchecked actions like Pandora's.
Which of the following is a common modern interpretation of the idiom 'to open a Pandora's box'?
Answer: To start something that seems valuable but proves to be a curse
The idiom 'to open a Pandora's box' signifies initiating an action that precipitates a cascade of unforeseen and often intractable problems, or starting something that appears beneficial but ultimately proves to be a curse.