Prometheus stole fire for humanity before Pandora appeared.
Prometheus was a Titan known for intelligence and foresight. In the myth associated with Pandora, he took fire from the gods and gave it to humans, allowing them access to a power Zeus intended to withhold or control.
Zeus punished Prometheus for this act, and Hesiod places Pandora’s creation within the same conflict. Zeus’s response was not limited to Prometheus himself: Pandora became a punishment directed at humanity, bringing evils into mortal life.
The fire story has several ancient variations, and later authors often make Prometheus a broader symbol of rebellion, creativity, or human progress. He is distinct from his brother Epimetheus, whose name is associated with hindsight and who accepts Pandora despite the warning against accepting Zeus’s gifts.