In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Prometheus warned his brother about gifts from Zeus. Prometheus is the Titan best known for helping humanity, especially by stealing fire from the gods and giving it to mortals.
Zeus punished Prometheus for deceiving him and for giving fire to humans. Hesiod presents Pandora as a further punishment for humanity, created after the conflict over sacrifice and fire. Prometheus’s warning therefore belongs to a larger chain of events rather than being an isolated caution.
The warning is sometimes misremembered as a direct command to Pandora. In Hesiod’s account, it is directed to Epimetheus, who nevertheless accepts Pandora. Prometheus and Epimetheus represent contrasting kinds of thought: foresight and hindsight.