In the Greek myth of Pandora, the single good thing left inside her opened container was hope. When Pandora opened it, evils escaped into the world, but hope remained within.
This detail appears in Hesiod’s Works and Days, although interpretations differ about what it means. Some readers view hope as a comfort preserved for humanity. Others note that hope is still trapped inside the container, so the passage may suggest something more ambiguous than simple consolation.
The myth says that Pandora closed the container before hope escaped. The popular expression “Pandora’s box” usually focuses on the release of troubles, while the surviving hope is the story’s important counterweight.
The Greek word often translated as “hope” is elpis. Translators and scholars discuss whether elpis means ordinary hope, expectation, or anticipation in this context. Even so, “hope” is the standard English answer and the familiar idea associated with the myth.