The Greek word usually transliterated as Elpis names the hope left in Pandora’s container. In Hesiod’s Works and Days, elpis is the final item remaining after the harmful contents escape and Pandora closes the vessel.
Elpis is not exactly identical to every modern meaning of “hope.” Ancient Greek words often cover a wider semantic range, and elpis can mean expectation or anticipation, whether the expected outcome is good or bad. That wider sense has shaped scholarly debate about the ending.
Modern retellings generally call Elpis a comforting gift that allows humans to endure suffering. Some interpretations instead ask whether keeping expectation inside the container means people are protected from it, deprived of it, or left with an intentionally unresolved symbol. The Greek term is therefore important because it preserves the ambiguity of the original story.