In the Pandora myth, Prometheus gave fire to humanity before Zeus punished him. The theft of fire is the event that sets the punishment narrative in motion in Hesiod’s account of Pandora.
Prometheus was a Titan who sided with Zeus during the conflict between the Olympians and the older Titans. He became associated with cleverness and with helping humankind. In the myth, Zeus responded to his act by arranging a separate punishment for humans: the creation and delivery of Pandora.
Prometheus’s punishment is described elsewhere in Greek mythology as eternal torment, with an eagle repeatedly eating his liver. His brother Epimetheus, whose name means “afterthought,” accepted Pandora despite Prometheus’s warning not to accept gifts from Zeus. This links the fire story directly to Pandora’s arrival.