In Greek mythology, Pandora opens a jar in the earliest surviving account of her story.
The ancient Greek word used by Hesiod is pithos, a large storage jar commonly used for commodities such as grain, oil, or wine. Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Pandora removes the lid, releasing troubles among humanity before hope remains inside.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” arose much later through translation and artistic tradition. The Renaissance humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam rendered the container as a box in a Latin version, helping establish the expression that became standard in many languages.
This detail is often misunderstood because modern retellings almost universally picture a small decorative box. The ancient pithos would have been a substantial earthenware vessel, making the original image closer to a storage jar than a present-day jewelry box. The myth’s central action is unchanged: opening the container spreads evils through the human world.