In Pandora’s myth, what Greek vessel did Pandora open?

In Pandora’s myth, the Greek vessel Pandora opened was a pithos. A pithos was a large storage jar used in the ancient Greek world, commonly for commodities such as grain, oil, or wine.

The earliest surviving literary account does not describe a box. Hesiod uses the Greek word pithos in Works and Days, where Pandora opens the container and releases the troubles kept inside. The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” became established much later through translation and reinterpretation, especially after the Renaissance.

A pithos could be extremely large and was often stored partly underground or placed upright. That practical reality makes it very different from the small hinged box shown in many modern illustrations. The container’s ordinary storage function also contrasts with the extraordinary contents assigned to it by the myth.

The Greek word is often transliterated as pithos, although English sources may use “jar.” “Jar” describes the object generally, while pithos identifies the specific ancient vessel named in the story.