Epimetheus was Pandora’s husband in Hesiod’s account. He is the brother of Prometheus, the Titan who steals fire for humans, and his name is commonly interpreted as “afterthought” or “hindsight.”
Prometheus warns Epimetheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus nevertheless receives Pandora. Hesiod’s story then places the jar in their home, where Pandora opens it and releases the world’s hardships. The myth contrasts the brothers’ names and traits: Prometheus represents forethought, while Epimetheus acts too late.
Epimetheus is sometimes confused with Prometheus because both are central to the myth of humanity’s punishment. They are separate figures, however. In later Greek traditions, Epimetheus and Pandora become ancestors of the human race through their daughter Pyrrha, who survives the great flood with Deucalion in a related but distinct mythic cycle.