In Hesiod’s myth of Pandora’s Box, Pandora was originally said to open a jar.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” comes from a later translation tradition. The ancient Greek word pithos referred to a large storage jar, not a small hinged box. Hesiod describes Pandora opening the container and releasing evils into the world, while hope remains inside.
The box wording became especially influential through Renaissance interpretations and translations of the myth. As the story passed through Latin and European languages, the original jar was increasingly represented as a box, creating the expression used in modern English.
The container is often mistakenly treated as an ordinary treasure chest. In the myth, it is a household-style vessel, and its importance comes from what it contains rather than from its shape.