In Hesiod’s Greek myth of Pandora, a pithos held the released evils. A pithos was a large ancient Greek storage jar, usually made of clay and used for commodities such as grain, oil, or wine.
Hesiod’s Works and Days describes Pandora opening a pithos, not a small hinged box. The familiar expression “Pandora’s box” arose later through translation and artistic tradition. The Greek word pithos could refer to a substantial storage vessel, making the original image quite different from the compact container commonly shown in modern illustrations.
An amphora is another Greek vessel, but it usually has two handles and a narrower body. A krater was used for mixing wine and water, while a lekythos was a smaller oil flask. None is the container named in the Pandora story.