In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire for humanity before Pandora’s creation. He was a Titan known for his intelligence and for helping humans, although the exact sequence and details vary among ancient sources.
Hesiod connects Prometheus and Pandora through Zeus’s punishment of humanity. Prometheus deceives Zeus during a sacrificial division and later steals fire for humans. Zeus responds by having the gods create Pandora, whose arrival brings a new burden to human life.
The fire episode is especially famous because fire represents technology, craft, cooking, and civilization. In some later versions, Prometheus steals the flame from Mount Olympus and hides it in a fennel stalk before bringing it to humans. These details are most strongly associated with later literary traditions, including Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound.
Prometheus and Epimetheus are brothers, and their names form a contrast between foresight and hindsight. Prometheus is therefore distinct from the Titan who accepts Pandora. Confusing the two brothers changes a central relationship in the myth.