In the phrase “Pandora’s box,” what does the expression traditionally describe?

“Pandora’s box” traditionally describes a source of unforeseen troubles or complications.

The expression comes from the Greek myth in which Pandora opens a container and releases harmful conditions into the human world. In modern English, the phrase is usually figurative rather than literal. It warns that an action, investigation, decision, or disclosure may create many unexpected problems.

The expression is also commonly used when one problem reveals several connected problems. For example, opening a controversial investigation may be described as opening a Pandora’s box if it produces new disputes or obligations. The phrase does not normally imply an actual physical container.

The English wording is based on a translation history. Hesiod’s Greek text refers to a pithos, a large jar, but Renaissance translators helped establish “box” in European usage. The figurative meaning now matters more in everyday speech than the original vessel’s shape.