In Greek mythology, hope remained in Pandora’s jar after the other evils escaped. Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Hope stayed inside the vessel when Pandora replaced its lid. The Greek word is elpis, often translated as “hope,” although scholars have debated exactly how the passage should be understood.
The myth does not simply say that every harmful thing left the jar and hope flew out afterward. Instead, hope’s position inside the vessel has created a long-running interpretive question. Some readers see it as a final comfort preserved for humanity; others ask why a beneficial thing was stored with destructive forces or why it was prevented from leaving.
Modern retellings usually treat hope as the positive remainder that allows humans to endure suffering. That interpretation is widespread, but the ancient wording is more compact and ambiguous than many children’s versions suggest. Hope is not normally listed as one of the evils released across the world.