The traditional name of the vessel in which Greek myth placed Pandora’s evils is pithos. A pithos was a large Greek storage jar, commonly used for products such as grain, oil, or wine.
Hesiod uses the Greek word pithos when describing the container associated with Pandora. Its size and practical function fit the world of ancient storage vessels better than the small hinged box suggested by modern illustrations. The jar’s contents are described as evils or miseries that spread among humanity when the lid is lifted.
The phrase “Pandora’s box” became standard in later European retellings. A major influence was the Latin tradition, especially the wording used by Erasmus, which helped turn the large jar into a box in popular language. The modern expression is now so familiar that the original vessel is often overlooked.
A pithos is not the same as an amphora. An amphora normally has two handles and a narrower profile, while a pithos is a large storage jar. The myth’s container is identified by the ancient literary term, not by its modern English nickname.