Midas was a mythical king of Phrygia in Asia Minor who was famous for his extraordinary ability to change anything he touched into gold. This gift was given to him by Dionysos in thanks for his hospitality to the wise satyr Silenus. Midas also judged Pan a greater musician than Apollo and so was given ass’s ears as a punishment.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/midas/.