The Greek term commonly translated as “hope” in Hesiod’s account is Elpis.
In Works and Days, Pandora releases troubles from the storage jar, but Elpis remains inside after the lid is closed. Elpis is the Greek personification or concept of hope, and its position in the story has produced centuries of debate. Some readers see hope as a comfort preserved for humanity; others note that Hesiod’s wording and the jar’s function make its role more ambiguous.
The Greek noun elpis can refer to expectation more broadly, not only to optimistic hope in the modern sense. Translation choices therefore influence how the ending is understood. “Hope” is conventional, but the myth does not provide a simple explanation of why it remains inside.
This question concerns the Greek word, not the later English phrase “Pandora’s box.” Ancient versions describe a jar, and the exact interpretation of Elpis remains a subject of classical scholarship.