The Greek word for the original Pandora vessel was pithos.
A pithos was a large storage jar used in the ancient Greek world, commonly for commodities such as grain, wine, or oil. Hesiod’s earliest surviving account describes Pandora opening a pithos, not a small hinged box. The familiar English expression “Pandora’s box” developed later through translation and artistic tradition.
The change from jar to box is often associated with Renaissance interpretation and translation, especially the Latin word *pyxis*, which can mean a small box. The modern phrase became much more widely known than the ancient vessel’s name.
This distinction matters because the container is one of the story’s most frequently misrepresented details. A pithos could be a substantial household storage vessel, making the image different from the compact decorative box shown in many modern illustrations.