In Greek mythology, Prometheus was punished for stealing fire before the story of Pandora’s box.
Prometheus was a Titan who supported humanity and became famous for taking fire from the gods and giving it to mortals. Fire represented practical knowledge, technology, cooking, and civilization, making the act a direct challenge to Zeus’s authority. Zeus responded by arranging a punishment for Prometheus and a separate punishment for humanity.
Prometheus was chained to a mountain, traditionally identified as the Caucasus, where an eagle repeatedly ate his liver. Because the liver regenerated, the torment continued. Later mythic traditions say that Heracles eventually freed him, although details vary among ancient sources.
Pandora’s arrival therefore functions as the human side of Zeus’s retaliation. Prometheus’s punishment targets the benefactor, while Pandora’s jar releases suffering among mortals. Retellings sometimes say Prometheus created humans, but his most central role in this mythic sequence is stealing and sharing divine fire.