In Pandora’s myth, whose theft of fire caused Zeus to punish humanity?

In Pandora’s myth, Prometheus’s theft of fire caused Zeus to punish humanity. Prometheus, a Titan, stole fire from the gods and gave it to human beings, an act that enabled technology, cooking, craft, and civilization in later interpretations.

Zeus responds in Hesiod’s account by arranging a punishment that affects humans. Pandora is created and sent to Epimetheus with the sealed jar, from which destructive forces escape. Prometheus is also punished personally: Zeus has him chained while an eagle consumes his liver, which grows back.

Prometheus is often confused with Epimetheus because the two are brothers and both are central to the story. Their names form a deliberate contrast: Prometheus suggests forethought, while Epimetheus suggests hindsight.

The Pandora episode is therefore part of a larger Prometheus cycle. It is not an isolated tale about curiosity; it is connected to a dispute over divine power, sacrifice, fire, and the conditions of human life.