King Midas and the Golden TouchThe Midas touch is named for a legendary king of Phrygia who was granted the power to transmute whatever he touched into gold.
Midas was the king of Phrygia, which is now part of Turkey. Several of his farmhands brought him a satyr they had found resting in the vineyard one day. This creature, part man, part goat, still sleepy and in bad shape, had been tightly trussed up to prevent him from fleeing. Midas quickly recognised Silenus, the god Dionysus' right-hand satyr, and ordered his release.
Silenus stated that he and his master had just arrived from the East, where they had been extending grape cultivation. Dionysus had returned with a tiger or two, a growing swarm of followers, and one extremely drunken satyr. Silenus had taken refuge in Midas' vineyard to rest. He and Dionysus were both grateful to the monarch for treating them with honour. The god was so pleased that he offered to grant Midas' every wish.
You didn't get to control a kingdom back then unless you understood reasonably well what it takes to run a successful economy. Midas didn't have to second-guess himself. He requested that everything he touched be converted to gold as the easiest strategy for replenishing the royal coffers.
Dionysus raised a divine brow and inquired whether Midas was certain. "Yes, I'm sure," the king said immediately. Then Dionysus granted the gift by waving his pine-branch sceptre.
Midas dashed straight home to put it to the test. He tentatively placed a nervous fingertip on a dish of fruit, then a stool, and finally a fuzzy lambkin. After each of these had been transmuted into pure gold instantly, the monarch began to frolic like the lambskin before its change.
"Look at this!" he said, transforming his chariot into a gleaming mass of priceless but worthless transportation. "See what daddy can do!" he exclaimed as he led his small daughter into the garden for a lesson in making dewy nature glisten with a monotonous but more valuable lustre.
He swung around to check why his daughter was being such a sloth when he encountered unexpected opposition. His eyes were drawn to a life-size golden statue, possibly labelled "Innocence Shocked," where his child had been late.
"Oh oh," Midas said, and the uh-ohs multiplied. He couldn't touch any helpful object without losing utility for what it gained in monetary value, and he couldn't eat anything without it losing all nutritional potency on its way down his gullet.
In brief, Midas saw why Dionysus had winced when he was asked to give the favour. Thankfully, the god took it in stride. He let Midas wash away his magical touch in the Pactolus River, which became famous for its glittering gold deposits.
