In Greek mythology, Prometheus warned his brother Epimetheus not to accept a gift from Zeus. Prometheus, whose name means “foresight,” understood Zeus’s hostility after stealing fire for humanity. He advised Epimetheus, whose name means “afterthought,” to reject any present sent by the god.
Epimetheus ignored the warning and accepted Pandora, whom the gods had fashioned and furnished with various gifts. Pandora’s arrival leads directly to the opening of the jar and the release of diseases, suffering, and other troubles. The contrast between the brothers’ names reinforces the poem’s concern with foresight and belated judgment.
This episode is sometimes blended with separate versions of the Prometheus myth. In one major tradition, Prometheus creates or shapes humans; in Hesiod’s Pandora story, the crucial family relationship is between Prometheus and Epimetheus. The warning identifies Prometheus as the cautious figure, even though it fails to prevent the disaster.