Prometheus steals fire for humanity before Zeus sends Pandora in Hesiod’s myth.
Prometheus is a Titan associated with forethought, craft, and the protection of humans. In the mythic sequence described by Hesiod, he tricks Zeus during a sacrificial division and later takes fire for mortals. Zeus responds by arranging a punishment that includes the creation and delivery of Pandora.
The fire episode is closely linked to Pandora, but different ancient sources tell the events with different emphases. Hesiod’s Works and Days connects Zeus’s punishment of humanity to both the loss of fire and Pandora’s arrival. Later writers and modern adaptations often expand Prometheus into a heroic champion of human progress.
Prometheus is sometimes confused with his brother Epimetheus, whose name is associated with afterthought. Epimetheus is the figure who receives Pandora, while Prometheus is the fire-bringer. They are both Titans, but they play sharply different roles in the story’s chain of events.