In Greek mythology, Pandora’s jar is called a pithos in Greek. The term refers to a large storage jar, not the small box suggested by the modern English expression.
Pithoi were substantial ceramic containers used in the ancient Mediterranean for storing goods. Their size and practical function make the vessel in Hesiod’s story quite different from the compact hinged box shown in many modern illustrations.
The “box” wording became influential through a later Latin translation associated with Erasmus. His use of pyxis, a word for a box or container, helped establish the phrase that became standard in European languages. The original Greek word remains important to historians of the myth.
The distinction is not merely linguistic. It shows how translation and artistic tradition can reshape a famous story. The myth’s central action remains the same, but the physical image changed from a large storage jar to the familiar box.