Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity in the mythic cycle surrounding Pandora.
Prometheus is a Titan who repeatedly acts on behalf of human beings. In the best-known version of the fire story, he takes divine fire and brings it to humans, enabling civilization, technology, and the arts. Zeus punishes him by chaining him to a mountain, where an eagle repeatedly eats his liver.
Hesiod presents Pandora as part of Zeus’s response to Prometheus’s deception and theft. After Prometheus tricks Zeus over the division of a sacrificial animal and later takes fire, Zeus arranges for Pandora to be created and sent to Epimetheus. The myths therefore connect fire, divine punishment, and the spread of human suffering.
Prometheus and Epimetheus are brothers, but their roles differ sharply. Prometheus represents foresight and defiance, while Epimetheus represents afterthought and accepts Pandora despite his brother’s warning.