Hesiod described a pithos, an ancient Greek storage vessel, in Pandora’s story.
A pithos was a large ceramic container used in the ancient Mediterranean for storing goods such as grain, olive oil, or wine. In Hesiod’s account, Pandora receives a large vessel and opens it, releasing the troubles that had been contained inside. The Greek word used in the tradition is pithos, not a word specifically meaning a small box.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” developed through later translation history. The Renaissance humanist Erasmus translated the Greek vessel as a Latin pyxis, a container that could be rendered as a box. That choice helped establish the wording used in many modern languages.
This detail matters because a pithos would have been a substantial household container, not necessarily a portable box. Artistic depictions therefore vary widely: some show a jar, while others show a decorated chest or small box. The underlying myth remains the same even when the vessel’s shape changes.