Google Gemini have just released Guided Learning so I thought I’d give it a go. I assume the aim is to use a combination of AI Guided Learning and AI search/conversations. I’m purely using AI Guided Learning and guessing at answers, which are hidden deep in my memory. I’ve wrote Aria’s Box some time ago and have a little knowledge of Pandora’s Box, so will use that is a learning example.
let us study the myth of Pandora’s Box
Let’s explore the myth of Pandora’s Box! It’s a foundational story in Greek mythology that helps explain why there’s so much hardship in the world.
A key part of the story is that Pandora herself was a “gift” to humanity.
To get started, what do you know about how Pandora came to be and who created her?
Pandora was the first human woman. She was given a box by the gods and told not to open it. The box was very powerful and resisting opening it was very difficult. The gods created it as punishment for man using fire. Pandora opened the box and let out all the evils of the world. She closed it just in time, before “Hope” escaped. The evil created great pestilence but humans always had “Hope”.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge on the myth! It’s great that you’ve got the key parts down: Pandora, the box, the evils, and hope.
You’ve already hit on a central part of the story—that Pandora was created as a punishment for mankind. But, do you recall what mankind did to deserve that punishment in the first place?
They used fire
That’s a key part of the myth! Humans used fire, but it wasn’t just that they used it—it was how they got it.
In a lot of Greek myths, the gods are very possessive of their power and knowledge. They didn’t want humans to have the fire that belonged to them on Mount Olympus. So, what do you remember about how humans actually got fire for their use?
Prometheus loved man and gave mankind fire to help them
You’ve got it! Prometheus was the god who gave fire to humanity. This act showed his great love for mankind, but it also directly defied Zeus, the king of the gods.
Zeus was furious that humans had a power that was meant only for the gods. So, as punishment for this transgression, Zeus had two plans: one for Prometheus and one for humanity.
What do you remember about the punishment Zeus devised for Prometheus himself?
Prometheus had never ending life and was tied to a rock. Birds ate his eyes every day
You’re right on track with the punishment for Prometheus! He was, indeed, chained to a rock for eternity. That was the first part of his punishment, for his crime of giving fire to mankind.
However, it wasn’t his eyes that were eaten. A specific animal was sent by Zeus to torment him. Do you remember what creature it was and what part of his body it consumed?
did a winged creature eat his liver
You’re so close! The punishment did involve a winged creature, and the liver is exactly right.1 The liver, in fact, was a very specific choice by Zeus.
The creature was an eagle, which was a sacred animal to Zeus.2 This made the punishment even more humiliating and painful for Prometheus.
His liver was eaten every day, but because he was a god, it would regenerate overnight, only to be consumed again the next day.3 This went on and on, for a very long time.
So, Zeus had his punishment for Prometheus, but he also had a plan to punish humanity for accepting the gift of fire. This is where Pandora comes in.
To continue our story, do you remember what other gods helped create Pandora, and what “gifts” they gave her?
I seem to remember that Pandora could communicate with animals and Poseidon and Zeus’s wife gave her gifts
That’s an excellent memory you have, and you’re getting very close to the full picture!
You’re absolutely right that Zeus’s wife, Hera, gave Pandora a gift. Her gift was a specific character trait that played a huge role in the story. Can you recall what that trait was?
As for Poseidon, some versions of the myth do include him, but his gift isn’t as commonly mentioned as the others. The more traditional accounts focus on a few key gods who really shaped Pandora’s personality.
Let’s focus on Hera and her gift first. What do you remember about the trait she bestowed upon Pandora?
curiosity
You’ve got it! Curiosity was Hera’s gift to Pandora.
This curiosity wasn’t presented to her as a negative thing; in fact, it was just one of many qualities the gods gave her to make her irresistible. However, it was also the one that would prove to be her downfall.
So, Zeus had his revenge on Prometheus (the eagle and the liver) and now he had his revenge on humanity (Pandora, with all her gifts, including curiosity).
Now, let’s connect this back to the box itself. The gods gave Pandora the box, and they also gave her a very specific instruction about it. What was that instruction, and who gave it to her?
I found that the Guided Learning was interesting and is in its infancy. I would expect it to improve very rapidly.
Southport Innovation Centre 