In Hesiod's Pandora myth, Epimetheus receives Pandora as his wife after Prometheus warns him.
Epimetheus is Prometheus's brother, and their names create a deliberate contrast. Prometheus is commonly interpreted as “forethought,” while Epimetheus is associated with “afterthought” or thinking afterward. Prometheus recognizes that accepting a gift from Zeus may be dangerous, but Epimetheus nevertheless welcomes Pandora.
Hesiod's story makes Epimetheus the recipient of Pandora, not Prometheus himself. After Pandora arrives, she opens the container and releases the troubles held within it. Their relationship places the myth's pivotal event in the household of the brother characterized by delayed judgment.
Later retellings sometimes simplify the story by presenting Pandora as a general first woman without emphasizing Epimetheus. Other versions add details or merge the myth with broader Greek stories about the survival of humanity. In the Hesiodic narrative, however, Epimetheus is the specific husband and recipient. His name is also a useful clue to the story's theme: recognizing a mistake only after its consequences have appeared.