Pandora's Box

Pandora's Box is seen in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life

What is Pandora's Box?

In Greek mythology, Pandora's box is the large jar carried by Pandora that contained all the evils of mankind — greed, vanity, slander, lying, envy, pining—and hope.

Opening the box

After Prometheus' theft of the secret of fire, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create the woman Pandora as part of the punishment for mankind. Pandora was given many seductive gifts from Aphrodite, Hermes, Charites, and Horae (according to Works and Days). For fear of additional reprisals, Prometheus warned his brother Epimetheus not to accept any gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus did not listen, and married Pandora. Pandora had been given a large jar and instructed by Zeus to keep it closed, but she had also been given the gift of curiosity, and ultimately opened it. When she opened it, all of the evils of mankind escaped from the jar, although Pandora was quick enough to close it again and keep one value inside- Hope.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life

In the second Tomb Raider movie Jonathan Reiss is searching for Pandora's box planning to release the plague that he believes is contained in it. As Lara mentions the box was left by Alexander the Great to a place called The Cradle Of Life. Only the orb of the Luna Temple in Santorini, Greece, could reveal the exact location of the Cradle of Life. Later, Lara learns that this place is the Mountain Kilimanjaro in Africa.

The box was protected by shadow monsters that lived in a petrified forest surrounding the Cradle of Life. It was found in a pool of black acid liquid that Reiss suggested were the tears Pandora cried when she opened the box. Lara was instantly tempted to open it but she never actually did. The box was left at the Cradle of Life safe from human hands. Noone ever knew what was inside it.