In Greek mythology, Pandora was sent to marry Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus.
The brothers’ names create a deliberate contrast. Prometheus suggests forethought, while Epimetheus suggests afterthought. Prometheus had warned Epimetheus against accepting anything from Zeus, but Epimetheus nevertheless received Pandora when she was sent to him.
Hesiod’s story presents Pandora’s arrival as part of Zeus’s punishment after Prometheus gave fire to humanity. Once Pandora is accepted into Epimetheus’s household, she opens the jar and releases the troubles that had been contained within it. The myth thus connects marriage, divine deception, and the origins of human suffering.
Some modern versions describe Pandora simply as the first woman and omit the marriage. Naming Epimetheus distinguishes the story from unrelated Greek myths involving other famous brothers, such as Heracles and Iphicles or Castor and Pollux.