In Greek mythology, Epimetheus was Pandora’s husband and the first person to receive her.
Zeus sent Pandora to Epimetheus, the Titan brother of Prometheus. Prometheus had warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus accepted Pandora because of her beauty. The story uses the brothers’ contrasting names to emphasize their different judgment: Prometheus represents forethought, while Epimetheus represents thought afterward.
Pandora’s arrival is part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s theft of fire. In Hesiod’s version, Pandora brings a sealed container, and when it is opened, evils spread among humans. Epimetheus is therefore the recipient who allows the chain of events to begin, although Pandora is the figure most directly associated with opening the vessel.
Some later retellings simplify the story and omit Epimetheus entirely. That omission can make Prometheus seem like Pandora’s partner, but the myth’s named husband is Epimetheus.