In the Pandora myth, the Greek word for the large storage jar she opens is pithos.
A pithos was a substantial ceramic container used in the ancient Greek world for storing agricultural goods. In Hesiod’s Works and Days, the vessel associated with Pandora is described with this term. Its size and practical purpose differ greatly from the small box shown in many modern illustrations.
The “Pandora’s box” expression became established through later translation and artistic tradition. Erasmus of Rotterdam is often associated with translating the Greek vessel as a box in the sixteenth century, helping the newer phrase spread in European languages. The modern wording is therefore famous but not a literal description of Hesiod’s container.
An amphora is another Greek vessel, usually recognizable by its two handles and narrower form, but it is not the object named in this myth. Distinguishing pithos from other pottery terms makes the classical source easier to understand.