In Hesiod’s Pandora story, Prometheus’s stealing of fire prompts Zeus to send Pandora to humanity.
Prometheus is a Titan who helps humans in several Greek traditions. In Hesiod’s Works and Days, he deceives Zeus during a sacrificial division and later steals fire for human beings. Zeus responds by devising a punishment that will affect humanity: Pandora is fashioned and sent as a gift that conceals harm.
The myth links two explanations for human suffering. Fire gives people technology and power, while Pandora’s arrival introduces toil and affliction. Hesiod’s account is not the same as every later Prometheus story; later writers often emphasize his compassion, his theft, and his punishment in more dramatic terms.
The specific trigger in Hesiod’s Pandora narrative is fire, not ambrosia or another divine possession. That connection explains why Pandora is often discussed alongside Prometheus even though they play different roles in the story.