In Hesiod’s Works and Days, hope remained inside Pandora’s jar. After Pandora opened the container, troubles escaped into the world, but hope stayed behind when the lid was closed again.
The Greek word used by Hesiod is elpis, commonly translated as “hope.” Scholars have debated whether elpis means ordinary optimism, expectation of future events, or a more ambiguous anticipation. The poem does not present a simple modern explanation of why hope was retained; that uncertainty has encouraged many later interpretations.
Popular retellings often say that Hope was intentionally left behind as a gift to humanity. Hesiod’s wording is less explicit: the jar is shut before Hope comes out. This difference matters because the original myth is not identical to the comforting version familiar today. In either reading, Hope is the last force associated with the container and the only one that does not spread through the human world.