In Greek mythology, Epimetheus is Pandora’s husband or companion after she reaches the human world. He is the brother of Prometheus and accepts Pandora despite Prometheus’s warning to reject gifts from Zeus.
The name Epimetheus is commonly interpreted as “afterthought” or “hindsight,” contrasting with Prometheus, whose name is associated with forethought. That contrast fits the story’s characterization: Prometheus anticipates danger, while Epimetheus acts only after the consequences become clear.
Hesiod’s Works and Days makes Epimetheus central to the episode, but later retellings sometimes incorrectly call Prometheus Pandora’s partner. Prometheus is connected to Pandora because of the stolen-fire episode and because he warns his brother about Zeus’s gifts. He is not the man who receives or lives with Pandora in Hesiod’s narrative. The pairing of Pandora and Epimetheus also supports the myth’s symbolic contrast between foresight and hindsight.