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.

Outlines

00:00

👑 The Golden Touch of King Midas

King Midas, known for his erratic rule and fascination with Dionysus, the god of wine, was granted a wish by the deity. His greed led him to request the power to turn anything he touched into gold, which initially seemed a blessing as he transformed his palace into a golden wonder. However, the curse of his wish became apparent when even his food and drink turned to metal, and in a tragic turn, he accidentally turned his beloved daughter into a golden statue. Realizing the error of his ways, Midas pleaded with the gods to reverse the curse, which Dionysus did by instructing him to wash in the River Pactolus, restoring his touch to normal and reviving his daughter.

Keywords

💡Harebrained schemes

The term 'harebrained schemes' refers to impractical or foolish plans, often made without much thought. In the context of the video, it describes King Midas's ill-considered actions that lead to unintended consequences, reflecting his lack of wisdom and foresight in ruling his kingdom.

💡Asinine dealings

Asinine, derived from the Latin word 'asinus' meaning 'donkey,' is used to describe actions that are foolish or senseless. In the script, 'asinine dealings with the gods' highlights Midas's irrational interactions with divine beings, which contribute to his downfall.

💡Rogue ruler

A 'rogue ruler' is a leader who is unpredictable and often acts against the norms or expectations of their role. King Midas is depicted as such, engaging in whimsical and reckless behavior that confuses his subjects and distracts the gods.

💡Dionysus

Dionysus is the Greek god of wine, carnival, and performance. In the video, he is associated with King Midas due to Midas's indulgence in feasts and wine, and ultimately grants Midas the power to turn everything he touches into gold, which becomes a curse.

💡Satyr

A satyr is a mythological creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a goat, often associated with Dionysus. In the script, a satyr's presence in Midas's garden and subsequent interaction with the king sets the stage for Midas's wish and the ensuing disaster.

💡Golden touch

The 'golden touch' is a phrase used to describe Midas's newfound ability to turn anything he touches into gold. It serves as a central plot point in the video, illustrating the dangers of greed and the unexpected consequences of one's wishes.

💡Gilded fruit bowl

A 'gilded fruit bowl' refers to a fruit bowl that has been covered in gold, as a result of Midas's golden touch. It is a specific example in the script that shows the extent of Midas's transformation power and the absurdity of his situation.

💡Apollo

Apollo is the Greek god of music and the sun, among other things. In the video, he punishes Midas for his poor judgment in a musical contest by giving him donkey ears, which symbolizes Midas's foolishness and inability to discern true talent.

💡Ass's ears

The term 'ass's ears' refers to the ears of a donkey, which are large and often associated with foolishness. In the script, Apollo gives Midas donkey ears as a form of ridicule and punishment for his ignorance in matters of music.

💡River Pactolus

The River Pactolus is a legendary river in ancient Lydia, known for its golden sands. In the script, it is the place where Midas washes to rid himself of his golden touch, symbolizing the possibility of redemption and the cleansing of one's mistakes.

💡Reeds

Reeds are tall, slender plants that grow in wetlands. In the video, the reeds that grow from the ground after the barber whispers Midas's secret carry the echo of his ridicule, illustrating the theme of secrets and the inevitable spread of gossip.

Highlights

King Midas ruled Phrygia with an uneven hand and was known for his harebrained schemes and asinine dealings with the gods.

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

He spent his days in a stupor of splendor, indulging in feasts and wine, and had an affinity with Dionysus, the god of wine.

Midas discovered a drunken satyr in his rose garden, who was one of Dionysus’s followers.

Dionysus offered to grant Midas one wish in return for his hospitality towards the satyr.

Midas wished for the power to turn anything he touched into gold, driven by his insatiable greed.

Midas's newfound power transformed his palace into a golden wonder, but it came at a great cost.

He realized the curse of his gift when he turned food and even his beloved daughter into gold.

Midas begged the gods to rid him of his power, and Dionysus instructed him to wash in the River Pactolus to lose the golden touch.

Midas's daughter was brought back to life and his palace returned to normal after he washed in the river.

Despite his previous lesson, Midas insulted Apollo by declaring Pan a greater musician.

Apollo transformed Midas's ears into those of an ass as punishment for his misjudgment.

Midas hid his ass's ears in public, but his barber knew the secret and struggled to keep it.

The barber whispered Midas's secret into a hole in the ground, which led to the reeds revealing his folly.

The wind carried the secret of Midas's ass's ears, making it known to all.

Midas's golden touch and ass's ears became symbols of his folly, remembered differently by his people.

Instead of statues and temples, Midas was remembered through the river and the wind of Phrygia.

Transcripts

With his harebrained schemes and asinine dealings with the gods,

King Midas ruled the ancient kingdom of Phrygia with an uneven hand.

He was known in Greek mythology as a rogue ruler

whose antics bemused his people and distracted the gods.

Midas spent his days in a stupor of splendor,

spoiling himself and his beloved daughter and gorging himself on feasts and wine.

Unsurprisingly, he felt an affinity with Dionysus,

god of wine, carnival, and performance.

One day, Midas discovered a satyr

dozing in his rose garden and drunk on more than the scent of flowers.

Midas recognized the satyr as one of Dionysus’s followers

and let him nurse his hangover at the palace.

Pleased with the king’s hospitality, Dionysus offered to grant him one wish.

Midas cast a greedy eye over his surroundings.

Despite the luxury in which he lived,

no amount of precious jewels, finest silk or splendid decor felt like enough.

His life, he thought, was lacking luster; what he needed was more gold.

The god sent the power to turn anything the king touched to gold

surging through Midas.

Ecstatic, he turned to his possessions.

At his lightest touch, the palace walls transformed,

stone statues shone,

and goblets glittered.

He galloped through his home in a frenzy,

handling each item until it took on a lustrous sheen.

Soon the palace heaved with gold,

and Midas’s delirious laughter echoed off the walls.

Exhausted and hungry from his rampage,

Midas picked up a bunch of grapes from his newly gilded fruit bowl.

But he nearly shattered his teeth,

for the fruit had turned to metal in his mouth.

When he picked up a loaf of bread, the crumbs hardened in his hand.

Flinging himself onto his bed in frustration,

Midas discovered his plush pillows had morphed into solid gold.

Hearing his cries of frustration, his daughter entered the room.

But when Midas reached out to her,

he saw with horror that he had frozen her into a golden statue.

Horrified at what he had done,

Midas begged the gods to rid him of his power.

Taking pity on the foolish king,

Dionysus told Midas to wash his hands in the River Pactolus.

When Midas reached into the river, the gold drained from his fingertips.

Midas returned home to find his daughter alive

and his palace back to normal, and he rejoiced.

You’d think he would’ve learned his lesson,

but just a few weeks later, Midas blundered again,

insulting the music and sun god Apollo when he declared Pan a greater musician.

Apollo scornfully declared that the king must have the ears of an ass

to make such a misjudgment, and transformed Midas accordingly.

Once again regretting his behavior,

Midas kept his hairy ears hidden in public.

They were seen only by his barber,

who was sworn to secrecy during a very awkward grooming session.

The barber stifled his laughter and fought the desire to tell someone,

yet the secret consumed him.

One day, he walked outside the city and dug a hole in the ground.

Plunging his head into the earth,

the desperate barber whispered, “Midas has ass’s ears.”

Soon after, a clump of reeds sprang up

in the spot where the barber had buried his words.

When the wind blew, they carried the echoes of his whisper through the breeze:

"Midas has ass’s ears."

At the sound, donkeys in the fields raised their heads in recognition

and people chuckled to themselves at the follies of their king.

With his golden touch and ass’s ears, Midas was not the most respected ruler.

And where other leaders were honored through statues and temples,

his people remembered him a little differently:

in the depths of the glittering river and the rustle of the Phrygian wind.