In Greek mythology, Pandora’s box was originally a jar.
The Greek word used by Hesiod is pithos, a large storage jar commonly used for grain, wine, or oil. The familiar English phrase “Pandora’s box” developed much later through a translation choice. Renaissance writer Erasmus translated the container as a box, helping establish the expression now used in many languages.
The jar matters because it places the story in an ordinary household object rather than a specially magical chest. Hesiod’s account presents Pandora as receiving a sealed container whose contents bring human troubles into the world when opened.
Modern retellings often depict an ornate box because that image matches the English phrase. The original Greek image was different: a substantial earthenware storage vessel. The distinction is a common point in discussions of how classical myths change through translation.