Part One: The Golden Touch – The Tragedy of Greed 1. The Sage in the Rose Garden: The Capture of Silenos The story begins with the wine god Dionysos (Bacchus in Rome) making a magnificent procession from Phrygian lands with his entourage. Dionysos's retinue is an embodiment of ecstasy and the wild face of nature; it consists of a cheerful crowd of Satyrs, Maenads (enraptured female followers), and those riding donkeys carrying wine skins. The most esteemed member of this procession is the old satyr Silenos, who is the foster father and teacher of Dionysos. Silenos is known for his wisdom, prophetic abilities, and also for his unrestrained drunkenness. According to legend, when he is drunk, he reveals the secrets of the past and the future. During the procession, Silenos, under the influence of the smoky wine, becomes detached from the entourage and loses his way. Stumbling, he enters the extraordinarily beautiful rose garden of King Midas's palace. This place is not just a garden, but a symbol of Phrygia's abundance; it is a corner of paradise where roses bloom in every color and every season, and the chirping of birds never ceases. Silenos slips among the roses and falls into a deep sleep. 2. Midas's Hospitality and the Feast Lasting Ten Days and Ten Nights The palace servants, upon finding this strange, half-goat, half-human old man snoring and shaking the roses in the garden, immediately bring him to King Midas. Midas recognizes Silenos. He remembers having seen this sacred teacher of Dionysos in the mysterious rites of his mother, Cybele. He treats him not like a captive or an uninvited guest, but like the highest of guests. He has Silenos's chains removed, dresses him in purple robes, and initiates a magnificent feast in his honor that will last ten days and ten nights. This is a celebration where bread, meats, and the finest Phrygian wines flow like rivers. During these ten days, Midas and Silenos engage in deep conversations. Inspired by wine, Silenos tells Midas stories from the distant corners of the world: about the lands of happiness beyond the ocean, the city of the Hyperboreans above the clouds, and secrets even the gods do not know. These tales broaden Midas's horizon, but they also fuel his desire to possess more, to feel the wealth of the entire world in his palm. 3. The Generosity of Dionysus and the Wish of Fate When the feast is over, Midas personally sets out to return Silenos to his court with respect. Dionysus turns to Midas with deep gratitude for seeing his lost teacher safe and happy. "O Midas," says the god, "in return for this kindness, whatever your heart desires, ask of me. I will grant it to you." At that very moment, the scales of fate rise into the air. Midas, influenced by the extraordinary stories he heard from Silenos and the boundless wealth of the world, thinks about how inadequate and ordinary everything he possesses truly is. Gold, in his eyes, is no longer an ordinary metal, but the essence of this enchanting world. Without hesitation, he whispers one of history's most famous wishes: "Grant me such a power, O mighty Dionysus, that everything my body touches, every being, turns into shining pure gold." Dionysus's face falls. For a moment, he seems to sense the terrible fate behind this wish. His heart tightens, for he knows that Midas's wish is not a blessing, but a curse. However, a god's word is like a vow once spoken; it cannot be taken back. Dionysus, in a heavy voice, says, "Let it be as you wish." And from that moment on, Midas's hands are filled with a power indistinguishable from the touch of death. 4. The Intoxication of Power: The Transformation of Nature and the Palace into Gold Midas, eager to test his power, leaves Dionysus's side. As he walks along the road, he notices a low branch of an oak tree. He reaches out and breaks the branch. With a crack, the broken branch instantly transforms into a solid, heavy, shiny golden statue in his hand. He continues on his way with astonishment and joy; he picks up a pebble from the ground, and it turns to gold as well. He touches a wheat ear; its grains turn into golden drops. He plucks an apple from the tree; now it is a golden apple that has come from the garden of the Hesperides. In the face of this miracle, Midas, losing his senses, rushes back to his palace in a drunken victory. The door frames he touches, the marble columns, the bronze statues, everything instantly turns into priceless gold. His palace becomes the richest structure on earth, reflecting sunlight blindingly. He showers his servants with orders; he wants the greatest feast to be prepared that night to celebrate this unique miracle. He feels like the most powerful, most fortunate king in the world. However, when the sun sets and the banquet table is set, this dream suddenly turns into a nightmare. 5. In the Embrace of Disaster: The Horror of Hunger and Thirst Midas sits at the table with appetite. The first loaf of bread he reaches for turns into a hard, cold, heavy gold ingot the moment it touches his fingers. He is surprised, but immediately reaches for a glass of wine; the liquid that touches his lips solidifies like melted gold and does not go down his throat. In a panic, he reaches for a meat dish; the meaty bone, with his touch, transforms into a golden plate like a sculptor's work. He can neither swallow a bite nor take a sip. Although everything around him is made of the purest gold, Midas sits at that table as the richest, hungriest, and thirstiest man in the world. As the days pass, hunger and thirst begin to turn him into a skeleton. He wanders like a miserable beggar among the gold. He becomes desperate for a simple drop of water, a dry crust of bread. Finally, he realizes that he can no longer endure this unbearable torture. He raises his arms to the sky and begs Dionysos with the deepest regret of his heart: "Forgive me, oh great god! Remove this curse that blinds my eyes! I am now poorer than my most worthless servant. Please, take this poisonous gift away from me!" 6. The Cleansing in the Pactolus River and the Endless Trace of Regret Midas's heartfelt cry and the terrible suffering he endures touch Dionysos's heart. The god takes pity on him and shows him a way to salvation. Midas must go to the Pactolus River, which springs from the slopes of Mount Tmolos in Lydia and flows into the Hermos (Gediz) River through the city of Sardes. When he reaches the source of the river, where the clearest waters spring forth, he must strip and wash in those waters. Midas strictly follows the god's command. He enters the cool waters of the river, dips his head, and washes his entire body. At that moment, the "golden touch" curse flows out of his body and mixes with the waters of the river. According to legend, the sands of the Pactolus River have shone throughout history with gold particles that are remnants of this curse. This river has also been the source of the legendary wealth of the Kingdom of Lydia. When the cleansed Midas returns to his palace, he is now a completely different man. He becomes disgusted with showiness, gold, and material wealth. He largely abandons his palace and throne; he begins to spend his time in the fields, among the trees and streams, admiring the pure and simple beauties of nature. Second Part: Donkey Ears – The Stamp of Pride and Stupidity 7. A New Life in the Silence of the Fields Having escaped the curse of the golden touch, Midas has left behind all his ambitions for wealth and power. He often escapes from the palace and wanders in the lush valleys of Phrygia, at the foot of Mount Tmolus. Here, he becomes a devoted follower of Pan, the god of the fields, shepherds, flocks, and the wild nature. Pan is the inventor of the flute (syrinx), and his coarse, rustic yet cheerful music appeals to Midas's new, simple soul. 8. The Divine Music Contest: Pan Challenges Apollo During this pastoral life, one of the most famous music contests in all mythology takes place. Pan, the god of shepherds, becomes so enamored with the beauty of the sounds coming from his own pipe that, reaching the peak of arrogance, he challenges Apollo, the god of music and art, and the master of the lyre (kithara). Pan claims that his pipe is superior to Apollo's golden lyre. This brazen challenge turns into a contest judged by Tmolus, the ancient mountain god of that region, the very spirit of Mount Tmolus. The contest takes place in a sacred area at the foot of Mount Tmolus, where nature itself has formed an amphitheater. All the forest nymphs, satyrs, and gods of the fields gather as spectators. Midas is among these spectators. First, Pan takes the stage. He rises on goat legs, brings his lips to his pipe, and begins to blow. From his pipe rises a raw, instinctive, cheerful, and dance-inducing melody reminiscent of the echo of the mountains, the murmur of the wind, and the call of animals. Pan's music fills the listeners with a primal enthusiasm; satyrs begin to stir, and nymphs start to laugh. When it was Apollo's turn, the sun god stands up. With his tall stature, golden hair, and crown made of laurel leaves, he is the embodiment of art. The moment he touches the strings of the lyre with his fingers, a divine harmony that reflects the universe's harmony, the movement of the stars, and the deepest emotions of the soul spreads around. This music silences the wild nature, stops the wind, and leaves all living beings in awe. 9. Midas's Wrong Decision and Apollo's Wrath The judge Tmolos does not hesitate for a moment. He announces his verdict loudly: Apollo's divine music is far superior to Pan's earthly sounds, and the victory belongs to Apollo. All the fairies, gods, and even the trees around the mountain rustle their leaves in the wind to approve this decision. Everyone is in agreement. Everyone, except for one person: King Midas. Despite having paid the price of greed with the curse of the golden touch, he still has an unresolved weakness: lack of aesthetics, that is, sheer tastelessness. To his coarse and uneducated ears, Pan's simple, familiar, and cheerful melody sounds much more pleasant than Apollo's complex and sublime harmony. He stands up and boldly protests as a mortal among the gods. He cries out that Tmolos's decision is unjust and that the true victory belongs to Pan. Apollo cannot bear a mortal questioning his divine art, especially in favor of a goat-god. His anger is as burning and sudden as sunlight. He turns to Midas and says: "Ears that hear so wrongly, that cannot grasp beauty, cannot be human ears! So be it, let your form match your soul!" And at that moment, Apollo grabs Midas's ears and pulls them, stretching them out, giving them coarse hair and a gray color just like a donkey's. Midas's ears turn into huge, furry, twitching donkey ears. The divine punishment is directed precisely at the organ where the fault was committed. 10. The Burden of the Secret: The Barber, the Pit, and the Reeds Midas flees in fear and shame. With this terrible stigma on his head, he can neither face his people nor hold meetings with the court officials. He immediately thinks of a solution and begins to spend the rest of his life wearing a large Phrygian hat (in some versions, a crown or a cap he constantly wears) on his head. This secret is known only by one person: the king's personal barber. The barber sees these terrible ears with every shave, but keeps his mouth tightly shut due to the oath of death he has taken for his king. However, a secret, especially one as absurd and scandalous as this, gnaws at a person's insides. As days go by, the barber begins to feel crushed under this burden and feels as if he is being poisoned the longer he keeps the secret. He can neither sleep nor breathe easily. Finally, realizing he cannot endure any longer, he finds a brilliant yet naive way to rid himself of this burden. He goes to a deserted field, digs deep into the ground. He leans into the pit and, with all his accum