In Greek mythology, Prometheus warned Epimetheus against accepting Zeus’s gift.
Prometheus and Epimetheus were Titan brothers whose names express contrasting qualities: Prometheus means “forethought,” while Epimetheus means “afterthought.” Prometheus understood that Zeus’s gift could bring danger and advised his brother not to accept it.
Epimetheus nevertheless accepted Pandora, whom the gods sent as part of Zeus’s punishment for Prometheus’s theft of fire. Pandora later opened the storage jar, releasing suffering and other hardships into the human world. Prometheus’s warning therefore becomes an important part of the myth’s explanation of why the disaster occurred.
The story is sometimes simplified so that Prometheus is described as Pandora’s husband, but Hesiod identifies Epimetheus in that role. Prometheus remains central to the larger mythological cycle because he is humanity’s benefactor and Zeus’s adversary.