In the Greek myth connected with Pandora’s Box, Prometheus gave fire to humanity before Zeus punished him. Hesiod links Pandora’s arrival to Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s deception and theft.
Prometheus is a Titan who supports humankind in several Greek traditions. In one famous version, he steals fire from Olympus and returns it to people, allowing them to cook, craft tools, and develop civilization. Zeus responds by arranging a punishment that affects both Prometheus and humanity.
Prometheus’s own punishment is separate from Pandora’s: he is chained to a mountain, where an eagle repeatedly eats his liver. Pandora’s creation becomes the human punishment, because the jar releases illnesses, toil, and other troubles.
A common mix-up pairs Pandora with Prometheus because both stories concern Zeus, fire, and humanity. Pandora’s husband is Epimetheus, Prometheus’s brother; Prometheus is the fire-bringer and warning figure.