Hesiod’s Works and Days says Pandora’s jar still contained hope after the other evils escaped.
In the poem, Pandora lifts the lid of a container and releases the illnesses, hardships, and other troubles that had previously been kept away from human life. She closes it before hope leaves, so hope remains inside. This is the source of the famous association between Pandora and hope.
The passage is often interpreted in different ways because the Greek word elpis can mean expectation or anticipation as well as hope. Some readers view hope as a comfort preserved for humanity, while others note that it remains confined in the jar. The poem itself does not settle every later philosophical interpretation.
Works and Days is also a didactic poem about farming, justice, labor, and proper conduct. Its Pandora episode forms part of a broader explanation of why human life includes suffering and hard work.