In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Epimetheus accepted Pandora despite Prometheus’ warning.
Epimetheus was a Titan associated with hindsight and afterthought. His name is often contrasted with Prometheus, whose name suggests forethought. Prometheus warned his brother not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus received Pandora when she was sent among humans.
The story makes Epimetheus a crucial link between Pandora’s arrival and the release of suffering into the human world. His decision is not presented as a modern-style legal or moral debate; it is part of Hesiod’s explanation for why hardship exists in human life.
This episode is sometimes simplified into the claim that Pandora personally invented evil. Hesiod’s account instead describes the consequences of opening the container after Epimetheus had already accepted her. Prometheus and Epimetheus also appear in other Greek myths, including the story of humanity’s distribution of animal abilities.