In Greek mythology, Hesiod described Pandora as receiving a large jar. The Greek word used in the relevant passage is pithos, a substantial storage vessel commonly made from clay and used for commodities such as grain, oil, or wine.
The famous phrase “Pandora’s box” comes from a later translation tradition rather than Hesiod’s original wording. The Latin writer Erasmus helped popularize the box interpretation when he translated the Greek container as pyxis, a smaller box or casket. English and other European retellings then made “Pandora’s box” the standard expression.
This distinction matters because a pithos was not a small modern box. It was a large storage jar, sometimes tall enough to hold substantial quantities of goods. Ancient Greek pottery varied widely in size and use, but the myth’s vessel belongs to that jar tradition.
The container’s contents are also described differently across translations. Hesiod says that troubles escape after it is opened, while hope remains inside. Later versions often simplify or alter that ending.