In the Pandora myth, evils escaped after the container was opened, while hope remained inside. Hesiod’s account describes destructive troubles spreading among humans after the lid was removed.
The Greek wording does not give a simple modern inventory of illnesses or misfortunes. Instead, Hesiod presents a broad group of evils that had previously been kept away from human life. Once released, they move among mortals and cause suffering. Pandora closes the container before everything inside escapes, leaving hope behind.
The meaning of hope is debated. Some readings treat hope as a benefit preserved for humanity; others note that Hesiod’s wording and the container’s role make its status more ambiguous. “Evils” is therefore safer than answers such as disease, war, or death, each of which represents only part of the story. The myth is an etiological explanation for why suffering exists in the human world.