The Greek term often mistranslated as “box” in the Pandora myth is pithos. In ancient Greek, a pithos was a large storage jar commonly used for commodities such as grain, wine, or oil.
Hesiod’s Works and Days describes Pandora’s container with this word. A pithos was generally much larger and more substantial than the small chest shown in many modern illustrations. The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” developed through later translation and cultural transmission, eventually becoming more recognizable than the original vessel.
The other options are also Greek vessel terms, but they describe different shapes and uses. An amphora usually has two handles and a narrower neck, a krater is a mixing vessel, and a lekythos is a smaller container often associated with oil. Identifying the vessel as a pithos clarifies why the ancient story’s object does not match the modern visual stereotype.