In Greek mythology, Hope remained inside Pandora’s jar after its other contents escaped.
Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Pandora opened the container associated with Zeus’s punishment of humanity. Evils flew out into the world, while Hope remained within because Pandora replaced the lid before it could leave. This ending has prompted centuries of debate about whether Hope was meant as a benefit, a consolation, or another part of Zeus’s plan.
The Greek word often translated as “hope” is elpis. In ancient Greek writing, elpis could refer to expectation generally, not only to positive optimism. That makes the exact moral meaning of the story less certain than the modern phrase “hope springs eternal” suggests.
The container is also commonly called a box, although the earliest surviving account describes a pithos, or large jar. The box image became standard through later translations and artistic tradition.