In Hesiod’s account, Epimetheus was Pandora’s husband and the brother of Prometheus.
Epimetheus belongs to the Titan generation and is presented as Prometheus’s opposite in judgment. His name is commonly interpreted as “afterthought,” while Prometheus means “forethought.” That contrast explains why the myth depicts Epimetheus accepting Pandora even though Prometheus warns him not to receive gifts from Zeus.
Pandora’s arrival is central to the Works and Days version of the story. Zeus sends her to Epimetheus with the sealed vessel, and her curiosity leads to its opening. The myth therefore uses the brothers’ contrasting names and behavior as a moral pattern: careful foresight is set against judgment that comes too late.
Epimetheus is sometimes confused with Deucalion, another figure linked to humanity and survival after a great flood. In Greek myth, Deucalion is a son of Prometheus, whereas Epimetheus is Prometheus’s brother. Keeping those family relationships separate prevents several later retellings from being mixed together.