In the Greek myth of Pandora, Prometheus was punished by Zeus for stealing fire.
Prometheus is a Titan associated with foresight, craft, and humanity. In the tradition connected with Pandora, he took fire from the gods and gave it to humans. Zeus responded by arranging Pandora’s creation as a punishment for mortals, while Prometheus himself received a separate punishment in which an eagle consumed his liver repeatedly.
The fire episode appears in several ancient traditions, and details vary. In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Prometheus also tricks Zeus during the division of an animal sacrifice, contributing to the conflict between the god and humanity. The Pandora story places the origin of human troubles within that larger dispute.
Prometheus is not the same figure as Epimetheus, Pandora’s husband in Hesiod’s story. Their names create a deliberate contrast: Prometheus suggests forethought, while Epimetheus suggests afterthought. Modern culture often celebrates Prometheus as a champion of humanity, although ancient sources present his actions as dangerous defiance of Zeus.