Elpis is the Greek name of the hope associated with Pandora’s vessel.
Elpis is the personification of hope in Greek mythology. In Hesiod’s account, the figure remains in the vessel after the other contents escape, although the passage does not explain the event in the straightforward, reassuring way familiar from modern versions.
The Greek word elpis can mean expectation or anticipation, not only optimistic hope. That broader meaning helps explain why classicists disagree about whether the remaining presence is a gift, a withheld comfort, or part of the story’s darker irony.
Elpis is sometimes confused with Nike, the goddess of victory, or with Eirene, the personification of peace. Those are separate figures. Elpis is specifically linked to expectation and hope and is the name used in discussions of Pandora’s story.