Elpis is the Greek word often translated as “hope” for the final thing left in Pandora's jar.
The word elpis appears in Hesiod's account of the container. After the destructive forces escape, Pandora closes the vessel before elpis can leave. English translations generally call it hope, but the Greek term can encompass expectation or anticipation more broadly than the modern English word.
That linguistic range helps explain why the ending has inspired competing interpretations. Some commentators view hope as a protective gift that remains available to humans. Others argue that the story may present hope as an ambiguous expectation associated with the evils released into the world. The text itself is brief, so it does not settle the philosophical debate.
Elpis should not be confused with Nemesis, the personification of retribution, or with Moira, a term associated with fate or allotted portion. Those concepts belong to different parts of Greek religious vocabulary and do not name the final occupant of Pandora's jar.