Greek mythology tells of Midas, a king in the Phrygia region in Anatolia, which is part of modern-day Turkey. King Midas was widely known for both his wisdom and his extreme greed. He used his power as a monarch to accumulate a vast amount of wealth.
One day, Dionysus, the god of fertility and wine, passed through Phrygia with a group of friends who had been traveling with him. One of these friends was Silenus, a satyr who was somewhat of a right-hand man to Dionysus (he was once the god’s schoolmaster and foster father). Silenus was perhaps celebrating their return a bit too hard and drunkenly wandered off into King Midas’ rose garden and promptly fell asleep.
The palace guards brought the intruder to King Midas, who recognized him immediately. The king offered Silenus his hospitality for ten days, during which they shared stories (including the tale of how he and Dionysus had come from spreading the cultivation of the grape in the east) and songs. On day eleven, King Midas brought Silenus back to Dionysus in the region of Lydia.
Dionysus was so grateful to Midas for treating Silenus with such kindness and dignity that he offered to reward the king by fulfilling a wish. Midas, being a greedy man obsessed with material wealth, wished that everything he touched would turn into gold. Dionysus warned Midas of the dangers of such a wish, but Midas was insistent and so the wish was granted as promised.
Excited to test this new power. King Midas touched an oak branch and watched it become solid gold. He moved about his garden touching twigs and stones. He touched each rose and watched as they solidified into the shining metal, though they lost their enchanting fragrance. Upon re-entering his palace, Midas asked his servants to prepare a feast in celebration. But as he lifted the food to his mouth, each hopeful bite and potential sip of wine also turned to gold. Midas’ newfound pride quickly faded away as he realized he would soon starve to death. His gift had actually been a self-imposed curse.
The full reality of the situation sunk in when Midas went to embrace his daughter and she turned into a golden statue. Midas was distraught and prayed to Dionysus for a way to reverse his foolish wish. His prayers were heard and Dionysus instructed Midas to bathe in the Pactolus River. When Midas stepped into the river, he felt the power flow from his body into the water, turning the sand in the riverbed to gold. Midas then placed everything affected by the golden touch into the river and the effects were reversed.
Following the onset and subsequent removal of the golden touch (also known as the Midas touch), the king decided to deny riches going forward. He retreated to the countryside to live a more humble life.
Midas may have been an overly greedy fool, but it is prudent for individuals and families to invest in precious metals to protect your financial future. Check out the 2017 American Gold Eagle to get your own piece of gold.
If you could be granted one wish, what would you ask for?
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