The myth of King Midas and his golden touch - Iseult Gillespie

Summary

In ancient Phrygia, King Midas, known for his erratic rule and fascination with Dionysus, wished for the golden touch. His greed led to a curse where everything he touched turned to gold, including his daughter. After learning his lesson, he was cursed again with donkey ears by Apollo for his poor judgment in music. The king's folly became the stuff of whispers, leaving a legacy of laughter and lessons in the wind and river.

Takeaways

• 👑 King Midas was known as a rogue ruler in Greek mythology, ruling Phrygia with an uneven hand.
• 🍇 Midas had a close affinity with Dionysus, the god of wine, due to his indulgence in feasts and wine.
• 🛌 Midas showed hospitality to a satyr, one of Dionysus's followers, which led to Dionysus offering him a wish.
• 💰 Midas wished for the power to turn anything he touched into gold, reflecting his insatiable desire for wealth.
• 🏰 Initially ecstatic, Midas found his newfound power had dire consequences, as even food and drink turned to gold upon his touch.
• 🍇 Tragically, Midas accidentally turned his daughter into a golden statue, realizing the horror of his wish.
• 🛁 Dionysus showed mercy to Midas by instructing him to wash in the River Pactolus to remove his golden touch.
• 🎶 Midas's folly continued when he insulted Apollo, declaring Pan a greater musician, resulting in Apollo giving him the ears of an ass.
• 🐪 To keep his new ears a secret, Midas's barber whispered the secret into the ground, which led to reeds carrying the news.
• 😄 The story of Midas's golden touch and donkey ears became a symbol of his folly and is remembered differently by his people.
• 🗿 Despite his mistakes, Midas's story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and the consequences of poor judgment.

Q & A

Who was King Midas known as in Greek mythology?

King Midas was known in Greek mythology as a rogue ruler, whose antics bemused his people and distracted the gods.

What was King Midas's relationship with Dionysus?

King Midas felt an affinity with Dionysus, the god of wine, carnival, and performance, due to his indulgent lifestyle and love for feasts and wine.

How did King Midas come to have the power to turn things into gold?

Dionysus granted King Midas the power to turn anything he touched into gold after Midas showed hospitality to a satyr, one of Dionysus’s followers.

What was the immediate consequence of King Midas's wish for more gold?

The immediate consequence was that everything Midas touched, including his food, drink, and even his daughter, turned into gold.

How did King Midas reverse the golden touch?

Dionysus instructed Midas to wash his hands in the River Pactolus, which drained the gold from his fingertips.

What was the second curse inflicted upon King Midas?

The second curse was that Apollo transformed Midas's ears into those of an ass, as a punishment for his poor judgment in a musical contest.

How did King Midas keep his second curse a secret?

Midas kept his ass's ears hidden in public, and only his barber, who was sworn to secrecy, knew about them.

What was the barber's method for revealing Midas's secret?

The barber whispered the secret into a hole he dug outside the city, and the reeds that grew there carried the echo of his whisper: 'Midas has ass’s ears.'

How did the people remember King Midas?

The people remembered King Midas not through statues and temples, but in the depths of the glittering river and the rustle of the Phrygian wind.

What moral lesson can be inferred from King Midas's story?

The story of King Midas suggests that greed and poor judgment can lead to disastrous consequences and that one should be careful what they wish for.