Midas

“	Stay away!!! Stay away!! I'm cursed! Stay away! Don't you see? Everything I touch...gold.	”
–King Midas.

Template:Infobox gods

Greek Mythology

Midas or King Midas (in Greek Μίδας) is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold after receiving this gift from Dionysus. This was called the Golden touch, or the Midas touch. He first turned a tree and a stone to gold. When he asked for a feast, his food and drink also turned to gold. Then it came to the part where his own daughter Marigold ended up turned to gold. Now, Midas hated the gift he had coveted. He prayed to Dionysus, begging to be delivered from starvation. Dionysus heard, and consented; he told Midas to wash in the river Pactolus. Midas did so, and when he touched the waters, the power flowed into the river, and the river sands turned into gold. After that, everything Midas touched returned to normal, even his daughter. This explained why the river Pactolus was so rich in gold, and the wealth of the dynasty claiming Midas as its forefather no doubt the impetus for this etiological myth. Gold was perhaps not the only metallic source of Midas' riches: "King Midas, a Phrygian, son of Cybele, first discovered black and white lead".

King Midas later retired and moved to the country where he became a worshipper of Pan. Midas was present at a music contest between Pan and Apollo which was referred to Tmolus the Mountain God. When Tmolus declared Apollo the winner, Midas objected to this causing Apollo to turn Midas' ears to that of a donkey's ears. Midas was mortified at this mishap and ashamed of his new ears. He attempted to hide his misfortune under an ample turban or headdress, but his barber, of course, discovered the king's embarrassing secret and he promises never to mention it. However, the barber could not keep the secret to himself. He went out into the meadow, dug a hole in the ground, whispered the secret into it, and then covered the hole up. A thick bed of reeds later sprang up from the covered up hole and began whispering the secret, "King Midas has ass' ears". When Midas learns that his secret is now common knowledge, he died of shame.

He bears some relation to the historical Mita, king of the Mushki in Western Anatolia in the later 8th century BC.

In God of War: Ghost of Sparta

Kratos first met with the king on the Canyons of Sorrow, where he was climbing onto a platform, telling the Spartan to leave him alone. Kratos found himself in the caverns under the mountains, surrounded by both waterfalls and pools of hot lava. Kratos, standing on a platform, witnessed a kneeling Midas beside the river of lava. There, Midas warned Kratos to stay away from him, showing his cursed ability to turn all to gold, including his own daughter, something that made him weep. Midas then saw a mirage of the lava being the River Styx in the Underworld. The very thought of death confused him, making him place his left hand in the lava, which burnt off, making him run away in agonizing pain. The severed hand turned the river into gold and allowed Kratos passage. After crossing the river of lava, and jumping off rocky platforms, he finally came upon a weeping Midas in one of the caves. Ignoring his warnings as he walked towards him, Kratos grabbed Midas and beat him unconscious. Having prevented Midas from turning him into gold, Kratos then carried him to the lava falls at the end of a tunnel.

After moving past several small hounds and forcefully dragging the King along the ground, Kratos slammed his head and threw him onto the edge. With a final plea to the gods from Midas, Kratos threw him into the lava fall, turning the entire stream, and Midas with it, into solid gold. This allowed Kratos to walk and climb on the lava and move on with his quest and in a way, Kratos had finally given Midas his wish.

Trivia

• In God of War: Ghost of Sparta, King Midas was voiced by Fred Tatasciore.
• In the demo, King Midas is found in a cave in one of the volcanic areas under Atlantis. In the actual game, he's found in the Canyons of Sorrow, miles away from Atlantis.
• Not only is King Midas weeping because of the curse but because he turned his daughter, Marigold, into a gold statue by his own hands.
• In the game, if playing the Quick-Time Event for King Midas while in a different costume and the player fails, the QTE does not show the character turning to gold but simply freeze in place instead with no visible change. This is most likely a developer goof-up.
• There is a labor in the Multiplayer of God of War: Ascension called "Speed of Midas". The objective of this labor is to open the 1st chest 3 times in a match.
• It's possible that Midas is trying to protect people from him due to his Curse, this makes him an enemy who might not have been trying to kill Kratos when confronted.
• It's suggested that Kratos has either met Midas prior to the events of the series or at least heard about Midas' curse due to recognizing him.
• Before being thrown into the lava, Midas questioned why the gods won't let him die.
  • Ironically, Kratos was a god at the time and he fulfilled Midas' desire by killing him.
• It should be noted that while the curse makes everything he touches turned into gold, he does not turn into one every time he touches himself.
  • It is likely that the satyr Silenus purposely makes it so to teach him a lesson.

Powers and Abilities

Though mortal, King Midas has the ability to turn everything he touches into gold. This includes humans, creatures, objects, and anything else he can touch.

Gallery

• King Midas
• Midas before being thrown in the lava.

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Video

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Related Pages

• Marigold
• Canyons of Sorrow