Hesiod describes Pandora’s container as a jar, not a box. The Greek term is pithos, a large earthenware storage vessel used in the ancient Mediterranean for commodities such as grain, oil, or wine.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” developed later through translation and cultural retelling. The Renaissance humanist Erasmus helped popularize the box wording when he translated the Greek story into Latin and used the term pyxis, meaning a small box or casket.
This translation history explains why the modern expression differs from the earliest surviving literary account. In both versions, opening the container releases troubles into the world, while something beneficial remains inside. The jar is therefore an important detail when comparing ancient Greek mythology with the modern idiom.