In Greek mythology, hope remains inside Pandora’s jar after the evils escape.
Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Pandora lifts the lid and releases the troubles that afflict humanity, while Hope stays inside. The Greek term is elpis, commonly translated as “hope,” although scholars have debated whether the story presents it as a blessing, a withheld resource, or an ambiguous force.
The detail explains why the myth is more complicated than a simple account of disaster. Pandora’s opening releases suffering, but the remaining presence of hope gives the story a counterweight. Later retellings often make Hope escape or describe Pandora as deliberately releasing it, but those versions are not identical to Hesiod’s wording.
The container is traditionally called Pandora’s box in English, even though Hesiod describes a pithos, a large storage jar. That translation helped create the modern expression.