In Hesiod’s Works and Days, who becomes Pandora’s husband?

In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Pandora’s husband is Epimetheus. He is the brother of Prometheus and accepts Pandora despite his brother’s warning not to receive gifts from Zeus.

The name Epimetheus is commonly interpreted as “afterthought,” contrasting with Prometheus, whose name is associated with forethought. That contrast helps explain the brothers’ roles in the story: Prometheus anticipates danger, while Epimetheus recognizes it only afterward.

Hesiod’s account presents Pandora’s arrival as part of Zeus’s punishment of humanity after Prometheus stole fire. Epimetheus is not portrayed as the creator of Pandora; instead, he receives her as a gift and makes her his wife. This detail is separate from later versions of the myth, which develop Pandora and the jar in different ways.

Epimetheus also appears in other Greek myths as the father of Pyrrha with Pandora. Pyrrha later becomes central to the Greek flood myth alongside Deucalion.