In the Greek myth of Pandora, hope remained inside the container when it was closed.
Hesiod’s account in Works and Days says that destructive troubles spread among humans after Pandora opened the vessel, while hope stayed within. The Greek word is elpis, which can mean expectation or hope, so scholars discuss its precise role in the story.
The myth does not present the container exactly as modern popular culture often does. In Hesiod’s narrative, Pandora closes the vessel before hope comes out, making its position and function open to interpretation. Some readers see hope as a consolation preserved for humanity; others note that it is enclosed with the evils.
Despite those interpretive debates, “hope” is the standard answer in retellings, dictionaries, and references to Pandora’s box.