How did Prometheus and Pandora contribute to the creation myth?

Answer 1

By some accounts, Prometheus is the creator of the current version of man (men of the Heroic age and Iron Age). He and his brother, Epimetheus, were given sway to grant gifts to the creatures they created, but when it came time to bestow gifts on man, Epimetheus had none to give. So, he made man walk upright, like the gods, and gave him the gift of fire. When Zeus came to receive sacrifice from the newly created man, Prometheus, a crafty devil, decided to help. The men made two offerings, one was a cow's stomach filled with choice meats (something unappetizing, but really good), the other was a thigh bone wrapped in glistening fat (something that looks good, but is inedible). Zeus chose the latter, having been fooled by Prometheus. As punishment, Zeus took fire away from men. Prometheus stole it back again and we know his punishment.

For men, though Zeus devised something more devious. He created a woman, beautiful and cunning, she was instructed by the gods and given an insatiable curiosity. He sent her down from Olympus with a box that was sealed. She was given to Epimetheus as a wife, and he begged her not to open the box. At her first opportunity, though, she opened the box, releasing all manner of ills and woes upon her unsuspecting neighbors. Only hope remained and she was closely guarded.