In Hesiod’s story of Pandora, the large storage jar is called a pithos. A pithos was a substantial ancient Greek container used for storing commodities such as grain, oil, or wine.
Hesiod’s Greek text does not describe a small wooden box. The familiar English phrase “Pandora’s box” developed later, while translations and retellings gradually replaced the original jar with a box. The change is often associated with a Renaissance mistranslation or reinterpretation of the Greek term.
This distinction matters because the container’s scale affects the imagery of the myth. A pithos was a practical household vessel, often large enough to stand on the floor. “Amphora” is another Greek vessel term, but it generally refers to a handled storage jar with a different shape. “Krater” and “kylix” were associated mainly with mixing or drinking wine.