In Hesiod’s Pandora myth, Spes is the later Roman counterpart of the Greek figure Elpis.
Elpis represents hope in Greek mythology and is the figure left inside Pandora’s container after the evils escape. Roman religion developed its own personification of hope, Spes, whose name means “hope” in Latin. Spes became associated with public and private hopes and was honored in Roman religious life.
The two figures are related by function rather than being identical characters in a single continuous story. Elpis belongs to the Greek mythic setting of Pandora, while Spes belongs to Roman religious and cultural traditions. Roman authors and artists often adapted Greek ideas, but they also gave them distinct names and contexts.
This distinction prevents a common mix-up: “Spes” is not the Greek name hidden in Pandora’s jar. The Greek name is Elpis; Spes is the Roman counterpart used in later Latin tradition.