In Greek mythology, Prometheus is punished by Zeus in the story that leads to Pandora’s creation.
Prometheus is a Titan who defies Zeus by helping humanity. In one famous version, he steals fire from the gods and gives it to humans. Hesiod connects this conflict with the creation of Pandora: Zeus uses her arrival as part of humanity’s punishment after Prometheus’s actions.
Prometheus’s name means “forethought,” while his brother Epimetheus is associated with “afterthought.” The contrast becomes significant in the Pandora story, because Epimetheus accepts Pandora even though Prometheus had warned him not to accept gifts from Zeus. This relationship is one reason the myth is often remembered as a chain of divine retaliation and human error.
Later Greek and Roman writers develop Prometheus’s story in different ways, especially his punishment of being chained to a mountain while an eagle eats his liver. That episode is related to his rebellion but is not the same event as Pandora’s opening of the jar.