In Hesiod's Greek myth, hope remained inside Pandora's jar.
The story says Pandora opened a container and released the diseases, hardships, and other evils that had been hidden within it. She closed the vessel before the final item escaped, leaving hope inside. This is the source of the familiar expression “hope remains” in discussions of the myth.
The meaning of this detail has been debated since antiquity. Some readers see hope as a blessing left to humanity, allowing people to endure suffering. Others argue that because hope stayed trapped, the ending may be darker: humans received troubles while hope was withheld. The Greek word elpis can mean expectation or anticipation, so translating it simply as “hope” can conceal some of the ambiguity.
Modern versions often say Pandora opened a box, but Hesiod described a pithos, a large jar or storage vessel. The box image became dominant through Renaissance and later European retellings.