In the Pandora myth, Epimetheus was Pandora's husband and the brother of Prometheus.
Epimetheus was a Titan whose name is commonly interpreted as “afterthought,” contrasting with Prometheus, whose name suggests forethought. Zeus sent Pandora to Epimetheus as part of the punishment connected with Prometheus's theft of fire. Although Prometheus had warned his brother not to accept gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus accepted Pandora.
The myth uses the brothers' names as a kind of moral contrast. Prometheus anticipates consequences, while Epimetheus understands them only afterward. This wordplay is central to how ancient audiences could read the characters, although later retellings often reduce Epimetheus to the person who receives Pandora.
Epimetheus is not the same figure as Deucalion, the Greek flood survivor sometimes described as Pandora's grandson. In some genealogical traditions, Pandora and Epimetheus are parents of Pyrrha, linking the Pandora story with later flood mythology.