In Greek mythology, Prometheus’s theft of fire helped provoke Zeus to send Pandora to humanity.
Prometheus was a Titan known for favoring humans. In the best-known version of the myth, he took fire from the gods and gave it to mortals, allowing them to develop skills and technologies associated with civilization. Zeus regarded the act as a serious challenge to divine authority.
Hesiod’s account links Zeus’s punishment of humanity to the creation of Pandora. Zeus also punished Prometheus directly by having him bound and subjected to an eagle that repeatedly ate his liver, although details vary across ancient and later sources.
Prometheus and Epimetheus are brothers, which can cause confusion in retellings. Prometheus is the fire-bringer; Epimetheus is the figure who accepts Pandora.