In Hesiod’s Works and Days, hope remained inside Pandora’s vessel after the troubles escaped. The Greek word is elpis, commonly translated as “hope,” and it is the final thing named in the passage after Pandora closes the container.
The myth does not explain in detail why hope remains or whether its presence is beneficial, so later readers have debated the episode. Some interpretations treat hope as humanity’s consolation amid suffering. Others note that the Greek text and the exact function of elpis have produced long-running scholarly disagreement.
The popular version often says that Pandora released every evil except hope. That summary captures the usual interpretation, but the ancient passage is shorter and less explicit than many modern retellings suggest. What the text clearly states is that hope remains within the vessel after the other contents escape.