In ancient Greek mythology, Hesiod described a large storage jar in Pandora’s story. The Greek word is pithos, a substantial container used in antiquity for storing commodities such as grain, oil, or wine.
The expression “Pandora’s box” became standard much later, even though the earliest surviving literary account does not describe a small box. The change is usually connected with the Latin translation of the Greek term and the later spread of the familiar phrase in European languages.
A pithos was generally much larger and more utilitarian than the decorative boxes shown in many modern illustrations. Its ordinary storage function makes the myth’s image more striking: a household-style vessel becomes the hiding place for the forces that cause human suffering.
Translations may use “jar,” “storage jar,” or “vessel.” These terms are more faithful to Hesiod than “box,” although “Pandora’s box” remains the established English idiom and the title of many adaptations.