The Greek name of the jar later known in English as Pandora’s box is pithos.
A pithos was a large ancient Greek storage jar, commonly used for commodities such as grain, wine, or olive oil. Hesiod’s Greek text describes Pandora opening a pithos, not a small hinged box. The vessel was therefore practical and substantial rather than the compact container shown in many modern illustrations.
The “box” wording became established through later translation history. The Renaissance scholar Erasmus used the Latin word “pyxis,” meaning a box or small container, when referring to the story. That choice helped create the familiar English expression.
This translation issue is one of the myth’s best-known details. The Greek story itself does not require a literal box, and the change illustrates how classical myths can shift as they pass through languages and centuries.