In Hesiod’s account of Pandora, hope remained inside the container after its contents escaped.
The Greek word is elpis, often translated as “hope.” In Works and Days, Pandora’s container is opened and harmful conditions or troubles spread among humans, but elpis remains inside. The passage has generated centuries of debate because readers disagree about whether hope is a benefit preserved for humanity or another trouble kept from escaping.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” is itself a later transformation of the ancient story. Hesiod used the word pithos, meaning a large storage jar, not the modern English word box. The surviving hope detail is therefore part of the jar episode, even though later retellings often simplify the scene.
Translations differ in their treatment of the Greek text, but “hope” is the established English answer and the central surviving element of the myth.