In Greek mythology, Prometheus gave fire to humanity before Pandora’s story began.
Prometheus was a Titan famed for helping humans and challenging Zeus. In the myth associated with Pandora, he steals or preserves fire for humankind after a conflict with Zeus. Zeus responds by arranging punishments that include the creation of Pandora and the release of suffering from her jar.
The fire episode explains why Prometheus is often treated as a culture hero: fire represents technology, craft, cooking, and the ability to transform the human condition. It also explains why he is punished by Zeus in another famous myth, in which an eagle repeatedly eats his liver.
Prometheus and Pandora are therefore connected in the same mythic cycle, even though their individual stories became famous independently. Epimetheus, whose name suggests hindsight, is Pandora’s husband and Prometheus’s brother.