In Greek mythology, hope stayed inside Pandora’s vessel after the evils escaped. In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Pandora lifts the lid of the container, allowing countless troubles to spread among humans, while hope remains within.
The Greek word used by Hesiod is elpis, commonly translated as “hope.” The ending of the story has generated debate because readers disagree about whether hope is a comfort preserved for humanity or another condition that remains trapped away from people. The text itself says that hope stayed inside, but it does not settle every later philosophical interpretation.
The familiar expression “Pandora’s box” also differs from Hesiod’s wording. He describes a large storage vessel, or pithos, rather than a small box. Renaissance and later European translations helped establish the box image, while hope became the best-known element of the myth’s ending.