In Greek mythology, Epimetheus received Pandora after his brother Prometheus warned him not to accept gifts from Zeus. Epimetheus’s name means “afterthought,” contrasting with Prometheus, whose name is commonly interpreted as “forethought.” This contrast shapes their roles in the myth.
Prometheus recognizes the danger of accepting anything from Zeus, but Epimetheus ignores the warning when Pandora arrives. In Hesiod’s account, Pandora becomes Epimetheus’s wife, and her arrival brings the troubles that had previously been absent from human life. The story presents Epimetheus as well intentioned but lacking his brother’s foresight.
This episode is not the same as asking who Pandora’s husband was: Epimetheus is indeed identified as her husband in the usual ancient version, but the key narrative action here is his acceptance of Zeus’s gift. The myth’s wordplay makes the brothers’ names an important part of its moral structure.