In Greek mythology, Prometheus helped humans by stealing fire before Pandora was created.
Prometheus is a Titan associated with foresight, craft, and humanity. In Hesiod’s account, he deceived Zeus during a sacrifice and later took fire for humans, concealing it in a stalk of fennel. Zeus responded by arranging the creation of Pandora as a punishment for humanity and by imposing a separate punishment on Prometheus.
The fire episode is one reason Prometheus became a major symbol of human knowledge and technological progress. Later Greek and Roman authors expanded the story, sometimes portraying him as the actual creator of humans or as a champion who repeatedly defied the gods. Those later versions are not identical to Hesiod’s earliest surviving account.
Prometheus is also distinct from Epimetheus, his brother. Their names are often interpreted as contrasting forms of thought: Prometheus is associated with forethought, while Epimetheus is associated with afterthought. Pandora’s arrival is tied to both brothers in the mythic tradition.