Original: 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.