Hesiod’s original Pandora myth describes a pithos rather than a box.
A pithos was a large ancient Greek storage jar, commonly used for materials such as grain, oil, or wine. In Works and Days, Hesiod says that Pandora opened such a vessel, allowing evils to escape into the human world. The word is important because it shows that the familiar English expression is not a literal translation of the earliest version.
The “box” wording became established through later retellings and translations. Erasmus is often associated with the influential Latin phrase dolium, meaning jar or cask, while European literary tradition gradually popularized the compact box image.
Ancient pithoi could be very large and were often stored partly underground. They were practical containers, not necessarily treasure chests. This difference is a common source of confusion when comparing classical Greek texts with modern illustrations of Pandora holding a small decorated box.