In Greek mythology, Pandora’s original container was a jar.
Hesiod’s Works and Days uses the Greek word pithos, which refers to a large storage jar or vessel. Such containers were used in the ancient Mediterranean for storing commodities including grain, oil, and wine. The vessel in the myth is therefore not originally described as a small hinged box.
The phrase “Pandora’s box” became familiar through later translations and retellings. The change from jar to box helped establish the modern expression for an action that causes many unexpected problems. It also influenced paintings, illustrations, films, and children’s versions of the myth.
This translation issue is one of the story’s best-known historical details. Saying “jar” is more faithful to Hesiod’s wording, while “Pandora’s box” remains the conventional English name for the myth and its metaphor.