In Hesiod’s account, Prometheus warns Epimetheus not to accept a gift from Zeus.
The warning follows the conflict over fire. Prometheus has helped humanity by stealing fire from the gods, so Zeus plans a punishment that will affect humans. Prometheus understands Zeus’s hostility and advises his brother to reject any present sent by the god.
Epimetheus ignores the advice and accepts Pandora. The story’s wordplay reinforces the brothers’ contrasting characters: Prometheus represents forethought, while Epimetheus represents thought after an event. The warning is therefore both a plot detail and a symbolic explanation of their names.
Later writers often focus on Prometheus as humanity’s benefactor and on his punishment by Zeus. Hesiod’s version is more ambivalent: Prometheus is clever and helpful to humans, but his challenge to Zeus also triggers consequences that shape the human condition.