The Greek term commonly used for Pandora’s large storage jar is pithos. A pithos was a substantial ceramic storage vessel used in the ancient Greek world for goods such as grain, oil, or wine.
The vessel’s size matters because it differs from the small hinged container suggested by the modern phrase “Pandora’s box.” Hesiod’s wording places the story in the material culture of archaic Greece, where large jars were practical household and agricultural containers. Later translation choices changed the object’s popular appearance.
An amphora is another Greek vessel, but it is usually a narrower container with two handles and a more portable form. A krater was used for mixing wine and water, while a lekythos was a smaller flask often associated with oil. These terms describe real pottery types, but they are not the standard word for Pandora’s vessel.