In Greek mythology, Epimetheus received Pandora despite his brother’s warning not to accept gifts from Zeus.
Epimetheus was the brother of Prometheus and a Titan associated with hindsight. Prometheus, whose name is associated with forethought, warned him against accepting gifts from Zeus. Epimetheus nevertheless accepted Pandora, who had been created and sent as part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s theft of fire.
The episode makes the brothers’ names symbolically important. Prometheus anticipates consequences, while Epimetheus understands them only after events occur. Pandora’s arrival and the opening of the jar turn this contrast into a story about caution, deception, and regret.
Some modern summaries omit the warning and present Pandora as arriving directly among humans. In Hesiod’s narrative, Epimetheus is a specific recipient of Zeus’s gift, and his decision helps connect the Pandora story with the larger Prometheus myth.