In Hesiod’s Pandora story, Epimetheus receives Pandora as a gift from Zeus.
Epimetheus is the brother of Prometheus and his name is commonly interpreted as “afterthought.” Prometheus, whose name suggests foresight, warns his brother not to accept gifts from Zeus. Despite that warning, Epimetheus accepts Pandora, who has been created by the gods as part of Zeus’s punishment connected with the theft of fire.
After Pandora arrives, the story moves to the jar. She opens it and releases the troubles that then spread among humanity, while hope remains inside. Epimetheus’s acceptance is therefore a crucial link between Prometheus’s theft and the jar’s consequences.
Modern retellings often make Pandora and Epimetheus a romantic couple, but Hesiod’s poems focus more on divine punishment and human suffering than on their relationship. Another common error is to say that Prometheus receives Pandora; the myth specifically emphasizes that Prometheus rejects Zeus’s gifts, whereas Epimetheus accepts them.