Elpis is the ancient Greek word often translated as “hope” in the Pandora vessel story.
In Hesiod’s Works and Days, elpis is the final item associated with the vessel after the other evils have escaped. Translators commonly render it as “hope,” but the word can also carry the sense of expectation or anticipation. That range has encouraged different philosophical readings of the myth.
The passage is unusually ambiguous. It does not plainly state whether hope is a blessing preserved for humanity, an evil kept from escaping, or something whose status depends on how the story is read. The Greek term itself is therefore important to discussions of the episode.
Elpis should not be confused with Eros, the Greek figure associated with desire and erotic love. The two words look similar in English transliteration but refer to different concepts.