In Greek mythology, Pandora found hope remaining in her jar after releasing its evils.
Hesiod’s account says Pandora lifted the lid of the storage jar and released troubles that thereafter afflicted humanity. She closed it before the final occupant escaped. The Greek word usually translated as “hope” is elpis, a term whose meaning can also include expectation or anticipation.
The story does not clearly say whether hope was left inside as a gift, withheld from humanity, or preserved for humanity. That ambiguity has produced centuries of debate. A common later retelling says Pandora released every evil but kept hope inside; the ancient text itself is more restrained.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” is also a later development. Hesiod described a pithos, or large storage jar, not a box. The box wording became standard through Renaissance translations and later retellings.