In Greek mythology, Hope remains inside Pandora’s jar after the other troubles escape.
Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Pandora opens the container and releases countless destructive forces into the world. When she closes it, only Elpis remains inside. Elpis is the Greek personification of hope, although scholars and translators debate whether her confinement should be understood as a blessing, a limitation, or an ambiguous ending.
The myth does not clearly explain why Hope remains. Some readings say humanity retains hope as comfort while suffering. Others argue that hope is withheld from humanity, making the ending darker. The Greek wording and the story’s compressed form allow both interpretations.
Hope is often treated as one of the contents of the jar, but it is not usually described as a destructive evil like disease, toil, or sorrow. The exact meaning of the ending is one reason Pandora’s myth has attracted centuries of philosophical and literary commentary.