In Greek mythology, hope was the last thing to remain inside Pandora’s container. After Pandora opened it, the world’s diseases, hardships, and other troubles escaped, but hope stayed within.
The Greek word used in Hesiod’s account is elpis, commonly translated as “hope.” The ending has generated debate because scholars disagree about whether hope was deliberately kept as a comfort for humanity or was another trouble prevented from escaping.
Popular retellings usually present hope as the positive force preserved for humans. This interpretation explains the familiar expression that “hope remains,” even after disaster has spread.
The container is often called a box in modern languages, but Hesiod described a pithos, a large storage jar. The detail about hope comes from the ancient literary version rather than from later decorative imagery alone.