In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Prometheus steals fire from Zeus and gives it to humanity.
The theft explains why Zeus punishes Prometheus and why humans must endure hardship. Hesiod presents the episode as part of a larger conflict over the division of sacrifices: Prometheus tricks Zeus into choosing the less useful-looking portion, then secretly takes fire for mortals.
Zeus responds by hiding fire from humans and arranging the creation of Pandora as another punishment. In this version, Pandora’s arrival is closely linked to the consequences of Prometheus’s defiance, rather than being an isolated story about a curious woman.
Later Greek and Roman writers expanded Prometheus into a champion of humanity and sometimes made him the creator of humans. Hesiod’s account is earlier and more critical: Prometheus is a clever trickster whose actions bring both a benefit and serious consequences.