In Greek mythology, Pandora retains hope after the troubles escape from her jar.
Hesiod’s Works and Days says that the vessel contains evils and that hope remains inside when Pandora closes it. The Greek word is elpis, commonly translated as “hope.” Because the poem does not plainly explain why hope is kept inside, the detail has prompted centuries of debate.
Some readers interpret hope as a consolation available to suffering humans. Others note that hope is listed among the contents of the vessel and question whether it should be understood as another harmful force held back from humanity. The text itself does not settle the issue completely.
A common modern retelling says Pandora deliberately leaves hope for people. Hesiod instead presents the event more mysteriously: Pandora closes the vessel before hope escapes. The popular moral about hope surviving disaster is therefore an interpretation built around an ambiguous ancient passage.