In Hesiod’s myth of Pandora’s box, Epimetheus became Pandora’s husband after Prometheus warned him not to accept Zeus’s gifts.
Epimetheus was a Titan and the brother of Prometheus. His name is commonly explained as “afterthought,” contrasting with Prometheus, whose name suggests forethought. In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Prometheus warns Epimetheus never to accept a gift from Zeus, but Epimetheus accepts Pandora when she arrives.
Pandora’s arrival is part of Zeus’s punishment for Prometheus’s theft of fire and for humanity’s benefit from that theft. The marriage is therefore presented as a key step in the chain of events leading to the release of evils from Pandora’s container.
A common mix-up is assuming Prometheus married Pandora because he is the better-known figure in the story. Hesiod’s account instead identifies Epimetheus as her husband. Later traditions expand or alter the relationships among these figures.