The Greek name for the hope left inside Pandora’s vessel is Elpis.
Elpis is the personification or concept of hope in ancient Greek thought. In Hesiod’s account, the word appears as the final item remaining in the vessel after the other destructive forces have escaped. English translations normally render it as “hope,” but retaining the Greek name helps distinguish the original term from later interpretations.
Elpis is not simply a character who enters the story and rescues humanity. Hesiod’s wording leaves the status of hope difficult to interpret, since it remains enclosed while the evils spread through the world. Scholars and translators have therefore debated whether hope was intended as a remedy or as one more troubling thing held in reserve.
The name is also connected with wider Greek religious and cultural traditions. Elpis could be represented as a young woman in classical art, and the concept appears in other ancient discussions of human expectation and divine fate.