King Midas of Phrygia wished for all he touched to turn to gold—and everything did, including his daughter.
According to Greek mythology, Midas ruled in what is today Turkey, in the area known in ancient times as Phyrgia. According to the Roman writer Ovid, in his work Metamorphoses, Silenus, the school teacher and foster father of the Bacchus, the god of merrymaking and wine, was missing. Midas' people found him and brought him to Midas, who entertained him and provided him with food and drink. In return, Bacchus gave Midas any wish he wanted. Midas wished for all he touched to turn to gold—and everything did, including his daughter. Midas then prayed for the wish to be recalled. Bacchus told Midas to wash his hands in the Pactolus River, which he did, turning the sands to gold and explaining why the river was so rich in gold and gave Midas' dynasty so much wealth. This illustration, dating to 1911, shows Midas contemplating the power of his golden touch.
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Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
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Keywords: ancient, bacchus, bad, choice, gods, gold, golden, greece, greek, king, legend, man, midas, myth, mythology, pactolus, pagan, phrygia, religion, river, roman, silenus, thinking, touch, turns
