In the earliest Greek version of Pandora’s story, she opened a pithos. A pithos was a large storage jar used in the ancient Greek world, often for grain, oil, or wine.
Hesiod used the Greek word pithos in Works and Days, rather than a word meaning a small box. The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” developed through later translation and literary tradition, especially after the Renaissance.
This difference matters because a pithos was a substantial household or agricultural vessel, not necessarily a portable treasure chest. Artists and storytellers later favored the box because it created a more recognizable visual symbol.
The container’s contents represented evils or troubles that spread among humans when released. Hope remained inside in the best-known interpretation, although ancient discussions differ over whether its remaining there was beneficial or troubling.