Elpis is the Greek word meaning “hope” associated with the final thing remaining in Pandora’s vessel.
In Hesiod’s Works and Days, the evils escape from the container, but Elpis remains inside. Elpis is a personification or concept of hope in Greek thought. The passage has generated centuries of debate because readers disagree about whether hope was kept inside as protection for humanity or prevented from reaching people along with the other evils.
The English phrase “Pandora’s box” often presents the ending as a straightforward message that hope remains after disaster. The ancient Greek wording is more difficult and has been interpreted in multiple ways. Elpis is therefore a safer precise answer than simply “hope” when a question asks for the original Greek term.