In the myth of Pandora’s box, who received Pandora as his wife?

In the myth of Pandora’s box, Epimetheus received Pandora as his wife. Epimetheus was a Titan associated with hindsight and was the brother of Prometheus, whose name is linked with forethought. Prometheus warned Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus ignored the warning when Pandora arrived.

According to Hesiod’s Works and Days, Pandora was sent as part of Zeus’s punishment after Prometheus gave fire to humans. Her arrival therefore belongs to the wider conflict between Zeus and Prometheus, not to an isolated story about a mysterious container. Epimetheus’s acceptance is a key turning point in the myth.

Some modern versions make Pandora herself the careless character who opens the container. In Hesiod’s account, however, the emphasis is on Zeus’s design, Pandora’s curiosity or action, and Epimetheus’s failure to follow his brother’s advice. Epimetheus and Pandora later became parents of Pyrrha in traditions connected with the flood myth.