In Greek mythology, Epimetheus became Pandora’s husband despite being warned not to accept Zeus’s gift.
Epimetheus was a Titan and the brother of Prometheus. His name is commonly interpreted as “afterthought,” contrasting with Prometheus, whose name means “forethought.” Prometheus warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus accepted Pandora when she was sent to humanity.
Pandora’s arrival formed part of Zeus’s punishment after Prometheus gave fire to humans. Hesiod’s Works and Days presents Pandora as a crafted woman whose arrival brought hardship into the human world. The familiar later expression “Pandora’s box” comes from a mistranslation or adaptation: Hesiod described a large storage jar, not a box.
Epimetheus is sometimes confused with Prometheus because both are central to the same myth. Prometheus is the fire-bringer and Pandora’s warning-giver; Epimetheus is the figure who accepts her.