The English phrase “Pandora’s box” describes a source of troubles released by one action.
In modern English, opening a Pandora’s box means starting a process that produces many unexpected problems or complications. The expression comes from the Greek myth in which Pandora opens a container and releases evils into the world. The phrase is usually figurative rather than a reference to a literal box.
The wording is itself based on a translation history. Hesiod described a large storage vessel, commonly translated from the Greek word pithos as a jar or storage container. Renaissance humanist Erasmus helped popularize the “box” wording through the Latin phrase pyxis Pandorae, and that version became standard in many European languages.
“Pandora’s box” is often confused with the original Greek container. The myth’s earliest wording points to a jar or pithos, while the English idiom preserves the later box tradition. Both refer to the same famous episode.