In Hesiod’s account of Pandora, she opened a jar that released troubles into the world.
The Greek word used in Hesiod’s Works and Days is pithos, a large storage jar commonly used for grain, oil, or other goods. When Pandora lifted its lid, harmful forces escaped and spread among humanity. Only hope remained inside when she closed it again.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” arose much later through translation and artistic tradition. The Renaissance scholar Erasmus of Rotterdam rendered the container as a box in Latin, helping establish the wording that became standard in European languages.
This difference is one of the myth’s most common points of confusion. “Pandora’s box” is the established expression, but “Pandora’s jar” is closer to Hesiod’s original description. The story’s central image remains the sudden release of hidden evils from a sealed container.