In Greek mythology, Epimetheus became Pandora’s husband after Prometheus warned him.
Epimetheus was the brother of Prometheus and belonged to the Titan generation. His name is commonly interpreted as “afterthought,” contrasting with Prometheus, whose name is associated with forethought. Zeus sent Pandora to Epimetheus, and despite his brother’s warning not to accept gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus took her as his wife.
The marriage is important because Pandora is not merely an isolated figure who opens a container. In Hesiod’s story, she enters the household of Epimetheus, where the jar is present. Her opening of it releases evils into the human world, while hope remains inside.
Later Greek traditions connect Epimetheus and Pandora with the beginnings of the human race. Hesiod’s version, however, is the key early literary source for the marriage and its place in the story of Zeus’s punishment.