The story of King Midas and his ability to turn everything he touched into gold is one of the most famous fables of all time — a classic myth telling of the tragedy that befalls those who have everything but still want more.
The story of King Midas and his ability to turn everything he touched into gold is one of the most famous fables of all time — a classic myth telling of the tragedy that befalls those who have everything but still want more.
Midas is said to have lived and ruled in Phrygia, in modern Turkey.
According to the legend, he had everything a ruler could want — a beautiful land, a huge fortune and a lovely daughter named Zoe whom he loved dearly.
But what he loved most was gold, amassing a huge collection of gold coins and decorating his palace with gold trinkets.
One day Dionysus, the god of wine, was passing through Midas’s territory when one of his friends got lost.
Midas looked after the man and later made sure he was reunited with Dionysus.
The god was so grateful he offered to grant Midas one wish.
Midas immediately said: “I want everything I touch to turn to gold.”
Dionysus was reluctant to grant the wish, but agreed when Midas insisted there was nothing else he wanted.
The god left after telling Midas that when he awoke the next morning his wish would be fulfilled.
When Midas woke the next day he reached out to touch his bedside table and it turned to gold.
He was so excited he leapt out of bed and ran around his palace, touching one item after another and turning them all into gold.
After a couple of hours he was hungry and went to his banqueting hall for breakfast.
As he sat down he grabbed a rose and tried to put it to his nose to smell its fragrance, but it immediately turned to gold. He frowned, picked up a grape, popped it in his mouth and nearly broke a tooth as he chomped down on the golden ball.
Next he tried to eat a piece of bread and drink a glass of wine, but both turned to gold at his touch. Midas, realising suddenly how stupid he had been, broke down and cried.
His daughter Zoe heard her father’s sobs and ran to see what was wrong.
Before he could stop her she leapt into his arms to comfort him and turned into a golden statue.
Heartbroken Midas prayed to Dionysus for aid, begging him: “Please take this curse away from me.”
The god took pity on Midas, telling him he would restore Zoe and the other items to their previous state — on the condition that Midas gave up all the gold in his kingdom.
The king readily agreed.
When his daughter was returned to him, Midas was so pleased he gave away the rest of his possessions and moved to a small cabin on the edge of a forest.
Midas is also the central character in another Greek myth.
According to this legend he was asked to judge a musical contest between the gods Apollo, who played a stringed instrument called a lyre, and Pan, who played his musical pipes.
Midas picked Pan as the winner — a decision that so enraged Apollo that he turned Midas’s ears into those of a donkey.
The king was forced to wear a hat for the rest of his life to stop his subjects discovering how ridiculous he looked.