In Greek mythology, which figure received Pandora as a bride?

In Greek mythology, Epimetheus received Pandora as a bride. He was the brother of Prometheus and accepted Zeus’s gift despite his brother’s earlier warning about accepting presents from the gods.

Epimetheus’s name is commonly interpreted as “afterthought,” contrasting with Prometheus, whose name is associated with forethought. This contrast supports the myth’s characterization: Prometheus anticipates danger, while Epimetheus acts after the fact. Pandora’s arrival in his household places the famous vessel within a family story involving divine punishment, human vulnerability, and the consequences of poor judgment.

The episode is often remembered only through the phrase “Pandora’s box,” so Epimetheus is sometimes omitted from popular summaries. In Hesiod’s account, however, he is essential to the narrative because he accepts Pandora and thereby allows the gods’ punishment to enter the human family. His role is distinct from Prometheus’s theft of fire and from Zeus’s decision to create Pandora.