In Hesiod’s Greek myth of Pandora’s box, hope remains inside after the evils escape.
The Greek term is elpis, usually translated as “hope.” Hesiod says that Pandora replaced the lid before it could escape, leaving hope within the container while the other troubles spread through the world. This detail gives the myth its most famous ambiguity: hope can be read as a comfort for humanity or as something withheld from it.
Ancient interpretations differ because elpis can mean expectation as well as hope. Some readers see the jar as a source of consolation, while others argue that hope’s confinement is part of the punishment imposed on humans. The passage does not provide a simple modern moral.
The phrase “Pandora’s box” often focuses on the evils, but the retained hope is equally important to the story’s structure. It explains why the myth continues to invite philosophical and literary interpretation.