In Greek mythology, Pandora originally opened a jar, not a box.
The earliest surviving versions of the story use the Greek word pithos, a large storage jar commonly used for grain, oil, or wine. Pandora opened this container and released evils into the world, while hope remained inside. The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” arose much later through a translation tradition.
The wording became established after the Renaissance, especially through Latin renderings that used pyxis, meaning a small box or container, rather than the original Greek pithos. Erasmus helped popularize the “box” wording in the sixteenth century.
The jar-versus-box distinction is one of the best-known mix-ups in the myth. “Pandora’s box” is now the standard English expression, but “Pandora’s jar” is closer to Hesiod’s original account.