In Greek mythology, Pandora left hope inside the jar after all other evils escaped.
Hesiod’s account says Pandora opened a large storage jar, releasing illnesses, hardships, and other troubles into the human world. She closed it before the final occupant could escape. That occupant is commonly translated as “hope,” from the Greek word elpis.
The story does not present hope in exactly the same way as every modern retelling. Scholars have debated whether hope is a comfort retained by humanity or another force held back from it. The Greek text and its interpretation have therefore produced different readings.
The object was originally described as a pithos, a large earthenware storage jar, rather than a small box. The “box” wording became standard much later through a Renaissance translation tradition.