In Greek mythology, Pandora’s original container was a jar.
The Greek word used in Hesiod’s account is pithos, a large storage jar commonly used for grain, wine, oil, or other supplies. Pandora opens it, releasing troubles into the world, while something remains inside after she closes it again. The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” comes from a later translation tradition rather than Hesiod’s original wording.
The change is usually associated with the Renaissance scholar Desiderius Erasmus. When translating the Greek story into Latin, Erasmus used pyxis, meaning a small box or container, instead of pithos. The new wording became influential in European languages and eventually fixed “Pandora’s box” as the standard expression.
The jar-versus-box distinction matters because the story is often illustrated with a wooden chest, even though its earliest surviving literary version describes a large earthenware vessel. “Pandora’s jar” is therefore a more literal description of the ancient Greek story.