In the Pandora myth, hope was the final thing left inside the jar after its other contents escaped. Hesiod’s Works and Days says Pandora closed the vessel before hope could leave, making hope the surviving presence associated with humanity’s suffering.
The Greek word used in the passage is elpis. Interpreters have debated whether elpis means ordinary hope, expectation, or an anticipation of future events. The myth does not settle whether hope was trapped as a benefit for humans or kept inside as another troubling force. That ambiguity is one reason the ending has generated centuries of commentary.
Modern summaries often say that Pandora released every evil but preserved hope. This is broadly accurate, although translations differ on whether she opened the jar accidentally or through curiosity and on how the final sentence should be understood. Hope is not one of the divine gifts listed in Pandora’s creation; it belongs to the contents of the vessel.