Midas

Midas is a figure in Greek mythology, traditionally described as a king of Phrygia. He is linked to the region of Gordium and the river Pactolus, and various legends place him at the center of the Phrygian court and its wealth. The most famous tale concerns the golden touch.

According to the myth, Dionysus granted Midas a wish after the king showed hospitality to Silenus. Midas asked that everything he touched would turn to gold. The gift soon proved disastrous: food and drink turned to gold, making sustenance impossible, and even his daughter was transformed into a lifeless golden statue. Horrified, Midas asked the god to remove the blessing, who instructed him to bathe in the river Pactolus. After washing, the power departed, and the river’s sands were said to bear gold dust as a reminder.

In other traditions, Midas is known for a different episode involving music. He is said to have judged a contest between the god Apollo and the satyr Pan, and in some versions he awarded the victory to Pan or to Pan’s music. In punishment or as a lesson in discernment, Apollo granted him the ears of a donkey. To conceal the shame, he attempted to hide them, but the secret was exposed when a barber whispered it to the wind, and reeds later carried the knowledge of the ears.

The name Midas has entered general usage through the expression the “Midas touch,” referring to the ability to generate wealth, often with caveats about risk or hubris. The figure remains a symbol in literature and art for wealth, power, and the consequences of greed.