Midas (Mi´das). A king of Phrygia, who begged of Bacchus the special gift that everything that he touched might be turned into gold. The request was granted, and as soon as he touched his food it also was turned to gold, and for fear of being starved he was compelled to ask the god to withdraw the power he had bestowed upon him. He was told to bathe in the river Pactolus. He did so, and the sands which he stood on were golden forever after. It was this same king who, being appointed to be judge in a musical contest between Apollo and Pan, gave the satyr the palm; whereupon Apollo, to show his contempt, bestowed on him a pair of asses’ ears. This gave rise to the term “Midas-eared” as a synonym for ill-judged, or indiscriminate.
“He dug a hole, and in it whispering said,
What monstrous ears sprout from King Midas’ head.”
Discussion (0)
Be the first to start a discussion about this article by leaving your comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment on this article. Create a free account if you don't have one. Register