In the traditional interpretation of Pandora’s myth, hope was left inside the jar after the troubles escaped.
Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Pandora lifted the lid of a storage jar, releasing evils that then afflicted humanity. The text states that only Elpis, commonly translated as hope, remained inside because Pandora replaced the lid before it could escape.
The ending has generated debate. Some readers view hope as a blessing preserved for humans, while others ask why hope would remain trapped if the jar released evils. Hesiod does not provide a full philosophical explanation, so later interpreters have proposed different meanings.
The familiar phrase “Pandora’s box” is a later development. The original Greek object was a pithos, or large jar. “Hope” is the standard English answer, although the exact moral significance of its confinement remains disputed.