In Pandora's Box, Hesiod originally described the container as a jar, not a box. The Greek word pithos referred to a large storage jar, often used for commodities such as grain, oil, or wine.
The word “box” became standard in many later retellings because of a Renaissance translation associated with Erasmus. That translation helped turn the story into the familiar expression used in English and other languages. Ancient Greek pottery and storage practices make a jar a more historically grounded image than a small wooden box.
This translation change is one of the best-known details surrounding the myth. Saying “Pandora's box” is now entirely conventional, but readers studying Hesiod's account may encounter the more accurate description of a sealed jar. The difference does not change the central plot: after the container is opened, evils spread through the human world.