In Greek mythology, Epimetheus received Pandora as a wife after Zeus sent her to Earth.
Epimetheus was a Titan associated with hindsight and poor judgment, while his brother Prometheus represented forethought. Prometheus warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus ignored the advice when Pandora arrived. In Hesiod’s story, Pandora’s arrival forms part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire for mortals.
Pandora later opened the sealed vessel kept in Epimetheus’s household, releasing troubles into the human world. The myth does not present Epimetheus as the person who opened it; that action belongs to Pandora. This distinction is frequently blurred in modern summaries.
Epimetheus’s name is often explained from Greek elements meaning “afterthought” or “hindsight.” His marriage to Pandora creates a symbolic pairing: foresight rejected the dangerous gift, while hindsight accepted it. The story consequently connects both siblings with the consequences of Zeus’s plan.