In Hesiod’s Works and Days, hope remained inside Pandora’s jar after the other evils escaped. The Greek text names it elpis, a word commonly translated as “hope.”
The detail has generated debate because Pandora closes the vessel before hope leaves. Some readers see hope as a blessing preserved for humanity, while others note that the poem does not explicitly explain whether hope is beneficial or another condition held inside the jar. The ambiguity is part of the myth’s lasting interest.
Later retellings generally present hope as the positive remainder that allows people to endure suffering. This interpretation is influential, but it should not obscure the more restrained wording of Hesiod’s original account. The story does not simply state that hope was released into the world.