In Hesiod’s story, Epimetheus is Pandora’s husband or companion after she is sent to humanity.
Epimetheus is a Titan associated with hindsight and is the brother of Prometheus. Prometheus warns him not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus nevertheless welcomes Pandora. Hesiod uses this contrast between the brothers to explain why the warning fails: Prometheus is associated with forethought, while Epimetheus acts only after events have occurred.
Pandora’s arrival is part of Zeus’s punishment for Prometheus’s theft of fire. In *Works and Days*, the gods create Pandora and send her to Epimetheus, who accepts her despite his brother’s advice. The story then links Pandora with the release of destructive conditions into human life.
Modern retellings sometimes call Epimetheus Pandora’s husband, while others simply describe him as her companion. The relationship is important because it connects Pandora’s story to the Prometheus myth without making Prometheus her spouse. Epimetheus, not Prometheus, is the figure who receives her.