In Hesiod’s Pandora myth, Pandora received a pithos, a large storage jar, rather than a box.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” developed from a mistranslation or reinterpretation of the Greek word pithos. In ancient Greek, a pithos was a substantial ceramic container used for storing commodities such as grain, oil, or wine. Hesiod’s Works and Days describes Pandora opening this container and releasing troubles into the world.
The word “box” became standard in later European retellings, especially through Latin and Renaissance interpretations. This change does not mean the modern image is entirely wrong culturally, but it differs from the object named in Hesiod’s Greek text.
Pithoi were often large enough to stand on the floor and could be partly buried for storage. That practical vessel is why many classical illustrations show Pandora beside a jar rather than holding a small hinged box.