In Greek mythology, Pandora’s original container was a jar. The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” comes from a later translation and artistic tradition, not from the earliest Greek wording.
Hesiod, writing in the eighth or seventh century BCE, used the Greek word pithos, a large storage jar. It was said to contain evils or troubles that escaped when Pandora opened it. The pithos could hold grain, oil, or other goods, making it an ordinary but symbolically powerful household vessel.
The “box” version became especially influential after Renaissance humanists translated or interpreted the Greek story. The translation helped create the enduring English expression for an action that releases many unexpected problems. The container is therefore a classic example of how a myth can change through translation while keeping its central plot.