Hesiod uses the Greek word pithos for the large jar later called Pandora’s box. A pithos was a substantial storage vessel used in the ancient Greek world, often for products such as grain, oil, or wine.
The wording matters because the familiar “box” is not the object named in Hesiod’s surviving account. The modern phrase developed through later translation and retelling, while the original story describes a large container or jar. This is one of the most persistent differences between the ancient text and popular culture.
A pithos was generally much larger and more functional than the small box shown in many illustrations. Its scale helps explain why modern scholars and translators often discuss the vessel separately from the conventional English expression.
Krater, amphora, and kylix are also Greek vessel terms, but they refer to different forms and uses. They are not the word Hesiod uses for Pandora’s container.