In Hesiod’s Works and Days, hope remained inside Pandora’s vessel after the other evils escaped. The Greek word is elpis, usually translated as “hope,” although scholars have debated its precise meaning and role in the passage.
Hesiod says that diseases and other troubles spread among humans after Pandora opened the vessel, while hope remained within it under the lid. The text does not straightforwardly explain whether this is comforting, harmful, or ambiguous. Some interpretations view hope as a blessing preserved for humanity; others note that keeping hope inside the vessel may imply that humans do not possess it in the same way as the released evils.
The familiar phrase “hope remained” is therefore simpler than the ancient passage itself. Modern adaptations often present hope as the final positive gift in an otherwise disastrous story. That reading is widespread, but the Greek poem leaves room for interpretation, making elpis one of the most discussed details in the Pandora myth.