In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Epimetheus receives Pandora despite being warned about gifts from Zeus.
Prometheus, whose name suggests forethought, warns his brother Epimetheus not to accept anything from Zeus. Epimetheus nevertheless takes Pandora into his household. Hesiod uses the contrast between the brothers to reinforce their characteristic names: Prometheus anticipates danger, while Epimetheus understands events afterward.
Pandora’s arrival is part of Zeus’s response to the theft of fire. The story explains a divine punishment imposed on humanity through a character who appears attractive and desirable but carries a hidden danger. The later opening of the storage jar spreads suffering among humans.
This detail is frequently confused with the question of who created Pandora. In Hesiod’s narrative, the gods contribute to her construction and adornment, while Epimetheus is the recipient who accepts her. Prometheus is connected to the warning and the fire theft, not the acceptance of Pandora.