In Greek mythology, Prometheus gave humans fire before Zeus created Pandora. The gift allowed people to cook, keep warm, work metals, and develop technologies associated with civilization.
Prometheus was a Titan who favored humanity. In one famous version, he stole fire from Mount Olympus and concealed it in a fennel stalk before bringing it to humans. Zeus punished Prometheus for this act by having him chained to a rock, where an eagle repeatedly consumed his liver. The liver was said to grow back, making the punishment continual.
Hesiod connects the theft of fire with the creation of Pandora. Zeus answered Prometheus’s gift with a counter-gift that brought suffering to human beings. This relationship explains why Pandora is sometimes called revenge or punishment for the theft of fire, although the myth’s wording and later interpretations vary. Prometheus’s fire story also became a major symbol of knowledge, technology, rebellion, and human progress in later literature and art.