In Greek mythology, the large jar Pandora opened is called a pithos. Hesiod uses the Greek term pithos for a substantial storage vessel, not the modern word “box.”
A pithos was a large ceramic container used in the ancient Greek world for storing commodities such as grain, oil, or wine. Some were tall and could be partly buried for stability. Its size and practical function differ greatly from the small box shown in many modern illustrations.
The phrase “Pandora’s box” became established through later translation and retelling. Erasmus used the Latin expression pyxis Pandorae, “Pandora’s box,” in the sixteenth century, helping popularize the inaccurate image in European languages.
A krater was a mixing bowl, an amphora was a two-handled storage or transport jar, and a lekythos was a smaller vessel often used for oil. None is the specific term used for Pandora’s container in Hesiod’s account.