Editing Epimetheus (section)

==Mythology==
According to [[Plato]]'s use of the old myth in his ''[[Protagoras (dialogue)|Protagoras]]'' (320d–322a), the two Titan brothers were entrusted with distributing the traits among the newly created animals. Epimetheus was responsible for giving a positive trait to every animal, but when it was time to give man a positive trait, lacking ''foresight'' he found that there was nothing left.<ref>[[Leo Strauss]], ''Natural Right and History'', p. 117.</ref> [[Prometheus]] decided that humankind's attributes would be the civilising arts and fire, which he stole from [[Athena]] and [[Hephaestus]]. Prometheus later stood trial for his crime. In the context of Plato's dialogue, "Epimetheus, the being in whom thought follows production, represents nature in the sense of materialism, according to which thought comes later than thoughtless bodies and their thoughtless motions."<ref>Leo Strauss, ''Natural Right and History'', p. 117.</ref>

According to [[Hesiod]], who related the tale twice (''Theogony'', 527ff; ''Works and Days'' 57ff), Epimetheus was the one who accepted the gift of [[Pandora]] from the gods. Their marriage may be inferred (and was by later authors), but it is not made explicit in either text. In later myths, the daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora was [[Pyrrha]], who married [[Deucalion]], a descendant of Prometheus. Together they are the only two humans who survived the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge]].<ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'', Book I, line 390.</ref> In some accounts, Epimetheus had another daughter, Metameleia, whose name means "regret of what has occurred" for those that do not plan ahead will only feel sorrow when calamity strikes.<ref>[[John Tzetzes]]. ''[http://www.theoi.com/Text/TzetzesChiliades6.html#50 Chiliades, 6.50 lines 913-916]''.</ref> According to a [[Scholia|scholion]] (marginal comment) on [[Apollonius of Rhodes]]' ''[[Argonautica]]'', [[Eumelos]] states that Epimetheus' wife was called [[Ephyra (mythology)|Ephyra]], daughter of [[Oceanus]] and [[Tethys (mythology)|Tethys]].<ref>Gantz, p. 157; [[Eumelus of Corinth|Eumelus]] [https://books.google.com/books?id=j0nRE4C2WBgC&pg=PA105 fr. 1b Fowler, p. 106] [= ''[[FGrHist]]'' [https://scholarlyeditions.brill.com/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:fgrh.0451.bnjo-1-ed-grc:f1b 451 F1b] = Scholia on [[Apollonius of Rhodes]], [https://books.google.com/books?id=0lkhbarJcukC&pg=PA310 4.1212/14b (Wendel, p. 310)].</ref> In the fifth of [[Pindar]]'s ''Pythian Odes'', he is called the father of [[Prophasis]].<ref>[[Pindar]], ''Pythian'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/pindar-pythian_odes/1997/pb_LCL056.311.xml 5.28&ndash;9 (pp. 310, 311)].</ref>