In Greek mythology, Pandora traditionally left hope inside the jar after opening it.
Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Hope remained within the container while the other harmful contents escaped. This detail has made the myth more complex than a simple story about catastrophe: even after troubles enter human life, hope is preserved for people.
The interpretation is debated. The Greek word elpis can mean expectation or anticipation, not only the positive emotion called hope in modern English. Some readers therefore understand the myth as saying that hope is a consolation, while others argue that it was itself withheld from humanity.
The container is also traditionally called a box in English, though the ancient object was a pithos, a large jar. Despite these translation and interpretation questions, “hope remained in Pandora’s box” is the standard modern retelling of the story.