In the original Greek myth of Pandora, a jar held the world’s troubles.
Hesiod used the Greek word pithos, which usually referred to a large earthenware storage jar. Such jars were used in the ancient Mediterranean for storing grain, wine, oil, and other goods. The myth therefore places the supernatural contents in a familiar household container rather than in a specially shaped box.
The phrase “Pandora’s box” became widespread because later translations and artistic traditions rendered the container as a box. Erasmus helped popularize the Latin phrase pyxis Pandorae, meaning Pandora’s box, in the sixteenth century. That wording became much more influential than the original description.
The difference matters because it explains a common mix-up in retellings. “Pandora’s box” is the standard expression in modern English, but “jar” is the more accurate answer when referring to Hesiod’s original Greek object.