Epimetheus was Pandora’s husband or companion when Zeus sent her into the human world.
Epimetheus was a Titan and the brother of Prometheus. His name is commonly understood as relating to afterthought or hindsight, contrasting with Prometheus, whose name is associated with forethought. In Hesiod’s account, Zeus sends Pandora to Epimetheus after the conflict over fire.
Prometheus warns his brother not to accept anything from Zeus, but Epimetheus accepts Pandora. The myth then connects Pandora’s container with the release of illnesses, labor, and other hardships among humans. This makes Epimetheus an important link between the divine punishment and the human experience of suffering.
Different retellings call Pandora Epimetheus’s wife, while others describe her as his companion or simply the woman given to him. The central relationship is stable: Pandora is paired with Epimetheus, not Prometheus, despite the brothers’ shared role in the story.