In Greek mythology, Prometheus steals fire for humanity before Pandora’s story begins.
Prometheus is a Titan associated with foresight and is portrayed in Greek myth as a benefactor of humankind. After Zeus withholds fire from humans, Prometheus takes it and gives it to them, allowing civilization and technical arts to develop. Zeus responds by arranging punishments for both Prometheus and humanity.
In Hesiod’s account, Pandora is part of Zeus’s punishment of humans after the fire theft. Zeus orders the gods to create her and sends her to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. Pandora’s arrival and the opening of her jar then introduce suffering into human life.
Other ancient authors tell the Prometheus story differently, and later writers expand his role as a champion of humanity. The connection between Prometheus and Pandora is strongest in the sequence of Hesiod’s Works and Days: stolen fire comes first, followed by Zeus’s response.