Midas
heroThe king of Phrygia who wished that everything he touched would turn to gold — a wish granted, to his horror, when even food and his beloved daughter became lifeless metal.
The Myth
Midas was a wealthy king of Phrygia who showed kindness to Silenus, the drunken companion of Dionysus. In gratitude, Dionysus offered Midas any wish. Without thinking, Midas asked that everything he touched turn to gold.
At first, Midas was delighted. He turned stones, flowers, and pillars to gleaming gold. But when he sat down to eat, his bread became a golden lump. His wine hardened into a golden block. When he reached for his daughter, she too became a lifeless golden statue.
Starving and horrified, Midas begged Dionysus to take back the gift. The god instructed him to wash in the river Pactolus, and the golden touch flowed from his body into the water — which, the Greeks said, explained why the Pactolus carried gold dust. Midas had learned the lesson: true wealth lies not in gold but in the things gold cannot buy.
Parents
Gordias and Cybele
Children
Zoe, Lityerses
Symbols
Fun Fact
The "Midas touch" has come to mean the ability to make money easily — ironically, given that the original Midas found his golden touch to be a curse.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth: