In the Pandora myth, hope was the last thing remaining in the container after its troubles escaped.
Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Pandora opened the container and released destructive afflictions into the world. The text then says that only hope remained inside, beneath the rim. This detail has produced centuries of debate because the Greek word elpis can mean expectation or anticipation, not simply modern optimism.
The myth does not clearly say whether hope remained as a comfort for humans or was prevented from escaping as another withheld force. Different translations and interpretations therefore give the ending different emotional meanings. The safest factual answer is the traditional English rendering: hope.
The container is also often called a box, although the ancient Greek term was pithos, a large storage jar. That translation history helped shape the familiar modern expression.