In Greek mythology, Pandora was created to punish Prometheus after he stole fire for humanity.
Prometheus is the Titan famous for aiding humans against Zeus’s wishes. In the best-known Hesiodic account, he deceives Zeus over the division of an animal sacrifice and later steals fire, giving it to humans. Zeus responds by arranging Pandora’s creation and sending her to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother.
The punishment is therefore indirect: Pandora is not sent directly to Prometheus as a captive or executioner. Instead, her arrival introduces a new burden or source of suffering into the human world. Different ancient authors and later artists reshape details of the story, but Prometheus’s theft of fire remains the central background for the Pandora episode. The myth also explains why Prometheus and Pandora are frequently discussed together in classical literature and modern references to forbidden knowledge or dangerous gifts.