In Greek mythology, hope remained in Pandora’s container after the other evils escaped. Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Pandora replaced the lid before Hope could leave.
The Greek word used for hope is Elpis. Interpreters have debated whether Hesiod presents hope as a benefit protected for humanity or as another force kept inside the container, but the surviving myth clearly identifies it as the final occupant.
The story describes sickness, suffering, toil, and other troubles spreading among humans after Pandora opened the container. Hope’s position at the end gives the myth its enduringly ambiguous conclusion.
Modern retellings often say that Pandora “closed the box just in time.” The ancient account actually concerns a jar or storage vessel, and its precise moral meaning is not universally agreed upon.