text: The mistranslation of pithos , a large storage jar , as `` box '' is usually attributed to the sixteenth century humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam when he translated Hesiod 's tale of Pandora into Latin .
simplified: The humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam translated Hesiod from Greek to Latin , in the 16th century . The Greek word pithos is used for a large jar , used for example for storing wine .