Elpis is the Greek word naming the hope that remained in Pandora’s jar.
In Hesiod’s account, Elpis is listed among the forces or troubles associated with the container. After the other contents escaped, Pandora shut the lid before Elpis could leave. English translations generally render the name as “hope,” but the ancient concept could also involve expectation or anticipation.
This detail is important because it makes the myth more complex than a simple story about evil entering the world. If hope remained for humans, the jar preserved a resource that could help them endure suffering. If Elpis was itself something harmful that stayed confined, the ending becomes darker.
The ambiguity has attracted philosophers, classicists, and translators for centuries. Modern retellings usually choose the encouraging interpretation, presenting hope as the final gift left to humanity. The Greek name remains useful because it avoids assuming one interpretation of the ending.