Which Titan was the father of Prometheus?

Iapetus was the Titan father of Prometheus.

Iapetus belonged to the older generation of divine beings born to Ouranos, the sky, and Gaia, the earth. In Hesiod’s genealogy, he fathered Prometheus, Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius, usually with the Oceanid Clymene. Some later or alternative traditions name Asia as the mother instead, but Iapetus remains Prometheus’s established paternal ancestor.

The family connection helps place Prometheus within the Titan generation, even though his stories focus on humanity and his conflict with Zeus. Prometheus’s name is commonly interpreted as relating to “forethought,” while his brother Epimetheus is associated with “afterthought.” Their contrasting names reinforce the myth’s interest in intelligence, planning and poor judgment.

Prometheus’s lineage also connects him to several major myths. Atlas was punished by being made to bear the sky, Menoetius was cast into Tartarus for his arrogance, and Prometheus was punished after giving fire and useful arts to humans. A common mistake is to identify Cronus as Prometheus’s father; Cronus was Iapetus’s brother and fellow Titan.