Erasmus is credited with popularizing the phrase “Pandora’s box” in Renaissance Europe. The expression developed from his Latin treatment of the Greek myth, even though Hesiod’s original story describes a jar rather than a box.
The Greek word pithos refers to a large storage container, and many modern translations preserve that sense as “jar.” Erasmus and later European retellings helped establish the box wording in Western culture. As the phrase spread, “opening Pandora’s box” became a metaphor for starting a process that releases numerous unforeseen problems.
The common expression therefore reflects both ancient mythology and Renaissance literary transmission. Ovid, Homer, and Plato are important classical authors, but they are not the figures normally credited with popularizing this specific English phrase.
The wording is a frequent source of mix-ups because the familiar title is now much more widely known than the ancient container’s original form.