Elpis is the Greek word for “hope” associated with the final thing left in Pandora’s jar.
In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Pandora’s container releases troubles into the world, but one thing remains inside: elpis. The word is commonly translated as hope, although scholars have debated the exact meaning and role of this remaining presence in the poem.
The passage is unusually open to interpretation. Some readers understand hope as a consolation that allows humans to endure suffering. Others have asked whether hope is itself held back from humanity or whether its confinement protects people from despair. The Greek text does not settle every philosophical question raised by the scene.
Elpis is not the name of a goddess who physically opens the jar. It is a Greek noun and also appears as a personified figure in later artistic and literary traditions. The familiar phrase “hope remained” therefore summarizes a complicated ancient passage.