In the original Greek myth behind Pandora’s box, Pandora opened a jar.
Hesiod’s Works and Days describes a pithos, a large earthenware storage vessel used in the ancient Mediterranean world. Such jars could hold grain, wine, oil, or other supplies, and they were much larger and more practical than the small box shown in many modern illustrations.
The phrase “Pandora’s box” became standard through later translations and retellings. Erasmus of Rotterdam is often credited with helping popularize the box wording in Renaissance Latin, although the underlying Greek story concerns a jar.
This distinction matters because the container’s original identity is one of the myth’s most commonly repeated details. The jar is sealed before Pandora opens it, releasing troubles that had previously been contained. Hope remains inside in many readings of the story.