Epimetheus accepts Pandora despite being warned not to accept gifts from Zeus.
In Hesiod’s story, Prometheus tells his brother Epimetheus not to accept anything from Zeus. Epimetheus ignores the warning when Pandora arrives, and she becomes part of the punishment directed at humanity after Prometheus’s theft of fire. Her container is then opened, releasing harmful conditions into the human world.
The brothers’ names create a deliberate contrast. Prometheus is associated with forethought, while Epimetheus is associated with afterthought. That contrast explains why Epimetheus acts first and understands the consequences afterward. It is a character-based wordplay built into the myth.
Epimetheus is not the same figure as Prometheus, although both are Titans and children of Iapetus in Greek mythology. Their other mythological associations differ, and Epimetheus is especially remembered for his role in accepting Pandora.