O rhey Midas is a character found in Greek mythology, recognized as king of Phrygia and a man of many possessions. Mentions of him are popular in two myths, which bring different moments from his life.
The first story says that he helped a follower of Dionysus, and therefore received the possibility of having a wish fulfilled. He asked for the power to turn everything into gold, and soon realized that his request was a curse that would cause him to starve. The second story tells that he was punished for not accepting the victory of Apollo in a music competition.
Read more: Medusa — character from Greek mythology who turned anyone who looked at her face into stone
Summary about King Midas
King Midas is known in mythology as the king of Phrygia.
In mythology, he sheltered Silenus, a follower of Dionysus, when he found him drunk.
He sent Silenus to Dionysus, and was rewarded with a request.
He asked for the power to turn everything he touched into gold, but he soon saw that this power would lead to his death.
He was punished by Apollo with donkey ears for not accepting this victory. God in a musical competition.
Who is King Midas?
King Midas is a character from Greek mythology which became known through two distinct myths, which we will learn about in this text. He was the king of Phrygia, a culturally Greek region in Asia Minor (present-day Türkiye). Some sources attribute to Midas the descent of a people who migrated from Thrace to Asia Minor. He was known for his wealth.
Myths of King Midas
We now bring you the two stories of this popular Greek mythological character.
Midas and the golden touch
In this myth, Midas meetsor Silenus, an old and former follower of the god Dionysus, drunk and lost in the king's garden. Some variations of this narrative point to Silenus as a satyr and claim that he was taken to Midas by peasants who found him drunk and lost in the woods of Phrygia.
Midas collected Silenus, offering shelter, food and other care to the old follower of Dionysus. The king of Phrygia kept his guest entertained for a few days, and then decided to take him back to Dionysus on the eleventh day. Dionysus ficor deeply grateful for Midas' gesture and decided to reward him with a request.
Midas decided to ask for the power to turn everything he touched into gold., as he wished to accumulate great fortune. Initially, the king was quite happy with his new power and turned a number of different objects into gold. The joy, however, soon turned to sadness and despair when he decided to feed.
Midas realized that everything he tried to eat or drink also turned to gold, and with that, the gift was, in fact, a curse, as he would die of hunger. He then made a request to Dionysus for the god to reverse what he had done previously and end that curse.
Dionysus responded to the request made by Midas and informed that he should bathe in the Pactolo River to get rid of the effects. Midas obeyed Dionysus' orders, bathed in the river and found himself free from the curse.
Midas' donkey ears
After these events, Midas began to hate wealth, moving to the countryside and becoming a follower of Pan, god of the fields, shepherds, satyrs, etc. Pan decided to challenge Apollo (god of music) in a competition over which one, Apollo or Midas, he would have greater musical abilities. This competition would have a referee, the god Tmolo (god of the mountains).
Timulus decided that the winner was indeed Apollo, and Midas did not accept the result, questioning him. Apollo did not accept Midas' disrespect and punished him by growing donkey ears on him.. Midas started wearing turbans to hide his ears, but his barber knew about this characteristic of his.
The barber was threatened not to tell this to anyone, but he couldn't keep the secret, so he opened a hole in the ground and said that Midas had donkey ears. The reeds that grew in that place began to whisper the king's secret, and Midas punished his barber by ordering his death, and then committed suicide.
