#pactolus

To his horror, King Midas discovers that his gift of turning everything he touches into gold has a bad side.

As he hugs his beloved daughter, his touch turns her into gold. (Circa 780 BC)

📷: Chronicle / Alamy Stock Photo

The story of King Midas is a myth about the tragedy of avarice and narrates what happens when true happiness is not recognized.

Midas was a man who wished that everything he touched would turn into gold.

However, he had not thought that this wish was not actually a blessing but a curse.

His greed invites us to think and realize the consequences that may lead us to become slaves of our own desires.

The phrase the Midas touch comes from this myth and is used to say that somebody has a good fortune.

The wish

Midas was a king of great fortune who ruled the country of Phrygia in Asia Minor.

He had everything a king could wish for. He lived in luxury in a great castle. He shared his life of abundance with his beautiful daughter.

Even though he was very rich, Midas thought that his greatest happiness was provided by gold.

His avarice was such that he used to spend his days counting his golden coins.

Occasionally, he used to cover his body with gold objects, as if he wanted to bath in them. Money was his obsession.

One day, Dionyssus, the god of wine and revelry, passed through the kingdom of Midas.

One of his companions, a satyr named Silenus, got delayed along the way.

Silenus got tired and decided to take a nap in the famous rose gardens surrounding the palace of king Midas.

There, he was found by the king, who recognized him instantly and invited him to spend a few days at his palace.

After that, Midas took him to Dionyssus.

The god of celebration, very grateful to Midas for his kindness, promised Midas to satisfy any wish of him.

Midas though for a while and then he said:

"I hope that everything I touch becomes gold."

Dionyssus warned the king to think well about his wish, but Midas was positive.

Dionyssus could do nothing else and promised the king that from that following day, everything he touched would turn into gold.

The curse

The next day, Midas woke up eager to see if his wish would become true.

He extended his arm touching a small table that immediately turned into gold. Midas jumped with happiness.

He then touched the chair, carpet, door, bathtub, table and so on.

He kept on running in his madness all over his palace until he got exhausted and happy at the same time.

He sat at the table to have breakfast and took a rose between his hands to smell its fragrance.

When he touched it, the rose became gold.

"I will have to absorb the fragrance without touching the roses, I suppose," he thought in disappointment.

Without even thinking, he ate a grape but it also turned into gold.

The same happened with a slice of bread and a glass of water.

Suddenly, he started to sense fear.

Tears filled his eyes and that moment, his beloved daughter entered the room.

When Midas hugged her, she turned into a golden statue.

Despaired and fearful, he raised his arms and prayed to Dionyssus to take this curse from him.

The atonement

The god heard Midas and felt sorry for him.

He told Midas to go to river Pactolus and wash his hands.

Midas did so. He ran to the river and was astonished to see gold flowing from his hands.

The ancient Greeks said they had found gold on the banks of the river Pactolus.

When he returned home, everything Midas had touched had become normal again.

Midas hugged his daughter in full happiness and decided to share his great fortune with his people.

From now on, Midas became a better person, generous and grateful for all goods of his life.

His people led a prosperous life and when he died, they all mourned for their beloved king.

King Midas turning his daughter to gold. An illustration by Walter Crane, 1893

Welcome to another Mythological Throwback Thursday. This week, the tale of a vain king obsessed with gold, who inadvisably touched his own daughter. Can you guess who it is? It’s King Midas, of course!

According to commonly accepted tales, Midas was the adopted son of King Gordias and the goddess Cybele. Upon his father’s death, Midas assumed the rule of the city Pessinus, part of Phrygia (now part of Turkey).

The real tale of King Midas begins with a drunken old satyr called Silenus, who stumbled into Midas’ prized rose garden one day, and was hauled before the king by guards. Rather than punish him, Midas kept him as an honoured guest in his court for ten days, before returning him to Dionysus, god of wine and parties. Out of gratitude, Dionysus offered Midas any boon he could name. Midas chose to have anything he touched turn to gold. Dionysus granted him this wish, though not without reservations.

Initially Midas was overjoyed with his gift, turning trees and rocks into gold. But when he learned that he would no longer be able to eat or drink, he soon sank into despondency. This depression only grew worse when he turned to his daughter for comfort and found that she, too, turned to gold. Midas prayed to Dionysus for deliverance from his foolish wish. Luckily for him, Dionysus took pity and told Midas to wash in the river Pactolus. Anything he immersed in the river would be restored to its original form. Good guy, Dionysus.

Since then, the river Pactolus has been known for its high gold concentration. Of course, a traumatic event like that is sure to turn one’s head, and Midas found himself sick of the sight of gold. He left home and became a devotee of Pan, god of satyrs and the wild. He was present at a music contest between Apollo and Pan, and when he sided with his divine patron, was cursed by Apollo, his ears transformed into those of an ass. To be cursed once is unlucky, but twice smacks of carelessness.