In Hesiod’s account, Prometheus stole fire for humanity before Zeus punished him.
Prometheus was a Titan known for cleverness and forethought. In Greek myth, he deceived Zeus during a sacrifice and later took fire from the gods, giving it to human beings. Zeus responded by arranging severe punishment for Prometheus and by sending Pandora as a separate punishment connected with humanity’s acquisition of fire.
Hesiod presents Pandora in both Theogony and Works and Days, with the fullest narrative in Works and Days. There, the creation of Pandora follows the fire theft and is part of Zeus’s retaliation. This sequence is why discussions of Pandora’s Box often mention Prometheus even though Prometheus is not the person who opens the jar.
Prometheus is frequently confused with Epimetheus. Prometheus is the fire-bringer and Pandora’s protector in some later traditions; Epimetheus is the Titan who accepts Pandora.