In Greek mythology, Prometheus warned Epimetheus about accepting gifts from Zeus. Prometheus was the Titan associated with foresight and with giving fire to humanity, an act that provoked Zeus’s punishment.
Hesiod’s account makes the warning part of the contrast between the two brothers. Prometheus thinks ahead, while Epimetheus accepts Pandora and understands the danger only afterward. The names themselves reinforce that contrast: Prometheus is linked with forethought, and Epimetheus with afterthought.
Pandora was created as part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s theft of fire. The myth therefore combines two punishments: Prometheus suffers directly, while humanity receives Pandora and the contents of her jar. Later retellings often focus on Pandora’s curiosity, but the earliest story also emphasizes divine retribution and the brothers’ opposing qualities.