The Greek name of the jar in which Pandora’s troubles were kept is pithos. A pithos was a large storage jar used in the ancient Greek world, commonly for products such as grain, oil, or wine.
Hesiod’s Works and Days uses the word pithos when describing the vessel connected with Pandora. The famous English expression “Pandora’s box” arose later through translation and retelling, even though the earliest surviving literary account specifies a jar.
The distinction matters because a pithos was not a small modern box. Large storage jars could be substantial household or agricultural containers, sometimes tall enough to hold a significant supply of goods. The myth’s vessel therefore belongs to the material culture of ancient storage.
“Amphora” is a different type of Greek vessel, typically recognized by its two handles and narrower body. A krater was used for mixing wine and water, while a kylix was a drinking cup. None is the vessel named in Hesiod’s Pandora story.