In Hesiod's Pandora story, Prometheus is punished by Zeus for stealing fire before Pandora is created.
Prometheus is a Titan who supports humanity in Greek mythology. In Hesiod's Works and Days, he tricks Zeus during a sacrifice and later steals fire for humans, hiding it in a fennel stalk. Zeus responds by arranging Pandora's creation as a punishment for mortals and by punishing Prometheus separately.
Prometheus is often confused with Epimetheus because both appear in the same mythic family. Their names provide a contrast: Prometheus is associated with foresight, while Epimetheus is associated with hindsight. Prometheus's theft of fire is also told in Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound, though that tragedy gives the fire-bringer a more expansive role as a benefactor of civilization. Pandora's story belongs to a different part of the wider Prometheus cycle.