In Hesiod’s myth of Pandora, hope remains inside the container after everything else escapes.
In Works and Days, Pandora opens the vessel in her home, releasing the troubles that afflict humanity. The text says that only Elpis, usually translated as “hope,” remains inside. Hesiod does not describe Pandora deliberately saving hope; the vessel is closed before it escapes.
The Greek word elpis can mean expectation or anticipation, so some scholars debate whether Hesiod presents hope as comforting or as another ambiguous part of human existence. Modern retellings usually treat it as a gift that helps people endure suffering.
A common mix-up is the container itself. Hesiod describes a large storage jar, or pithos, rather than a box. The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” became dominant much later, especially through Renaissance retellings.