In Greek mythology, hope was the thing left inside Pandora’s jar after its evils escaped. Hesiod’s Works and Days identifies the remaining item with the Greek word elpis, commonly translated as hope.
The ending is unusually ambiguous. The poem says that Pandora replaced the lid before the item could fly out, but it does not clearly state whether hope was meant to help humanity or whether keeping it enclosed was itself part of the punishment. Ancient and modern interpreters have therefore disagreed about the story’s moral.
Many later retellings treat hope as a blessing that remains available to humans during suffering. Other readings note that hope can also mean expectation, including expectation of future trouble. The Greek word’s range makes a single philosophical interpretation difficult to prove.
The familiar phrase “hope at the bottom of Pandora’s box” comes from later versions of the myth. In Hesiod’s original account, the vessel is a large jar, and the text’s final image is Pandora holding it closed after the evils have escaped.