The Greek word commonly translated as “hope” in Hesiod’s Pandora episode is elpis.
Elpis is the term used for the final thing remaining in Pandora’s container after its other contents escape. English translations usually call it hope, but the Greek word has a broader range of meaning that can include expectation, anticipation, or an outlook toward what is to come. That range contributes to the episode’s continuing ambiguity.
Some readers interpret elpis as a benevolent resource preserved for humanity. Others have argued that the sealed container may mean hope was withheld, or that hope itself belongs among the troubling forces kept inside. Hesiod does not explain the point in a way that eliminates all disagreement, so translations can preserve the word while interpretations differ.
Elpis should not be confused with Eros, the power of desire, or Nemesis, a goddess associated with retribution. Those are distinct Greek terms and figures. In the Pandora passage, elpis is the specific noun connected with the jar’s final remaining content.