The Greek word pithos names the large storage jar that held Pandora’s contents.
A pithos was a substantial ceramic container used in the ancient Greek world, especially for storing commodities such as grain, oil, and wine. Its size and practical role differ from the small hinged box shown in many modern illustrations. In Hesiod’s account, Pandora’s container is described with the Greek word pithos.
The expression “Pandora’s box” became standard in later European languages partly because the Renaissance scholar Erasmus rendered the vessel as a box in Latin. The translation helped establish the familiar phrase, even though a large jar better matches the ancient wording.
An amphora was another kind of Greek storage vessel, usually more portable and characterized by two handles. A krater was used for mixing wine and water, while a kylix was a drinking cup. These are related pottery forms, but none is the vessel named in Pandora’s story.