In Hesiod’s Pandora story, Epimetheus became Pandora’s husband after Prometheus warned him about Zeus.
Epimetheus is a Titan whose name is commonly interpreted as “afterthought,” contrasting with his brother Prometheus, whose name suggests forethought. In Works and Days, Prometheus tells Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus. Despite that warning, Epimetheus accepts Pandora when she is sent to humanity.
Pandora then becomes part of the story that explains the arrival of suffering among humans. Hesiod presents Epimetheus as unable to resist the gift, and his decision makes him an important link between Zeus’s plan and Pandora’s arrival. The account does not present him as a heroic rescuer or a king.
Later retellings sometimes simplify the myth by calling Pandora the wife of humanity or by omitting Epimetheus altogether. Hesiod’s version is more specific: Pandora is given to Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus, and the pair belong to the Titan generation.