In Hesiod’s myth, Zeus sent Pandora to Epimetheus as part of his punishment for the theft of fire.
Prometheus had taken fire and given it to humanity, allowing people to gain an important advantage over the gods. Zeus responded by arranging Pandora’s creation and sending her to Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother. Pandora carried the sealed jar whose opening released the troubles that then affected human life.
The story is therefore connected to the Prometheus myth, but Zeus is the deity who directs Pandora’s delivery. Epimetheus accepts her despite his brother’s warning not to receive gifts from Zeus, and this decision places the jar in human possession.
Later retellings often focus on Pandora’s curiosity, but Hesiod’s account also emphasizes divine planning and punishment. The story does not present Pandora as independently inventing the scheme; Zeus initiates the chain of events.