In Hesiod’s account of Pandora’s box, whom did Pandora marry?

Pandora married Epimetheus in Hesiod’s account of the Pandora myth.

Epimetheus is the brother of Prometheus, whose name is often interpreted as “afterthought,” while Prometheus is associated with forethought. Prometheus warns Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus accepts Pandora when she arrives among humans.

That contrast between the brothers is important to the story. Epimetheus’s willingness to accept the gift helps explain why Pandora enters the household despite the warning. Pandora then opens the sealed vessel, bringing hardships into the human world.

Popular retellings sometimes identify Prometheus as Pandora’s husband because he is the better-known figure in the surrounding myth. Hesiod, however, names Epimetheus. Pandora’s marriage also links her directly to the consequences of Prometheus’s theft of fire, since Zeus sends her as part of his response to that act.