In Greek mythology, Epimetheus marries Pandora after receiving her from Zeus. Hesiod presents Pandora as a divinely created woman sent to Epimetheus as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity.
Epimetheus is the brother of Prometheus. His name is commonly interpreted as “afterthought,” contrasting with Prometheus, whose name means “foresight.” Prometheus warns Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus accepts Pandora anyway.
The marriage places Pandora inside the family of the Titan brothers and connects her story to the earlier theft of fire. Prometheus had helped humanity by taking fire from the gods, so Zeus responds by arranging a different kind of gift: Pandora, whose arrival is followed by the release of troubles from her container.
Pandora is sometimes described in modern retellings as simply opening a box, but Hesiod’s account gives her a more specific mythological role as Epimetheus’s wife. Their daughter is traditionally named Pyrrha.