In the Greek myth of Pandora, hope remains inside the jar after suffering escapes.
Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Pandora opens a container holding destructive forces, which then spread among humans. Hope remains inside when the lid is closed. The detail has generated centuries of debate because the Greek word elpis can refer to expectation or anticipation, not only the positive emotion meant by the English word “hope.”
The myth does not provide a single explicit explanation of why hope stays inside. Some readers interpret its retention as a consolation for humanity; others see it as ambiguous because hope can encourage people or keep them waiting for relief that may never come.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” is also a later wording. Hesiod describes a pithos, usually translated as a large jar or storage vessel. The modern expression developed through later retellings and translations.