The Myth of King Midas and the Midas Touch
The King, Allowed to Choose a Gift, Chooses the Midas Touch
Oct 6, 2009
Where does the common phrase “The Midas Touch” come from? The phrase, which refers to someone who can seemingly do no wrong, comes from an ancient Greek myth about King Midas, who was offered a gift by Dionysus, God of Wine and Revelry.
Dionysus and Silenus
Dionysus (the Romans named him Bacchus), young God of wine, drunkenness and revelry, had a beloved tutor named Silenus. In some versions of the myth, Silenus was a satyr, or a man with the legs and tail of a goat. According to the myth, Silenus got drunk one day and wandered off. He was found by some peasants who took him to their king, King Midas of Phrygia. Midas recognized Silenus and announced a ten-day festival of drinking and celebrating in his honor. When a desperate Dionysus showed up looking for Silenus, he found him entertaining the revelers with songs and stories.
A Gift Fit for a King
Relieved and impressed, Dionysus generously offered Midas any gift he wished: he only had to name it. King Midas foolishly announced that he wished for anything he touched to turn to gold. Dionysus was wiser than the king and was dismayed that he had made a bad choice, but he honored the wish.
The Midas Touch: Gift or Curse?
At first, Midas was delighted with his gift. He touched many objects, watching them turn to gold in his hands. He broke a branch off an oak tree: it, too, turned to gold. Rocks, apples, corn, all turned to gold. Even water which touched his hands turned golden.
But soon he found that his gift was more of a curse than a blessing. Food turned to gold in his mouth, as did water and wine. According to some versions of the myth, his young daughter saw him and ran to him: when he reflexively scooped her up in his arms, she became a golden statue. He came to hate the brilliant metal he had once loved so much.
King Midas is cured of his Curse
Midas, in despair, begged Dionysus to take back his gift. The god, who after all had given the gift as a reward, not a punishment, mercifully agreed. He instructed Midas to wade into the River Pactolus and make his way upstream to the source. Midas did as he was told: as he made his way upstream, the river turned to gold, but when he reached the source and washed himself there, his curse was gone. According to legend, this was the reason that gold could be panned from the banks of the Pactolus River.
The Myth of King Midas in Modern Culture
The phrase “the Midas Touch” is still common today. It is used to refer to someone who has what seems to have very good luck: everything he or she touches figuratively turns to gold.
Source:
Hendricks, Rhoda A. Classical Gods and Heroes. New York: Morrow Quill Paperbacks, 1974.
More Ancient Greek Myths:
The Legend of the Trojan Horse
 |
