The story of Midas, and how everything he touched turned to gold, is perhaps the most famous golden myth of all. His touch led to one of the most successful and underrated technologies in history: coinage.
Midas was the king of Phrygia, which is now part of Turkey. Dionysus (more commonly known as Bacchus, the god of wine, parties and pleasure) was passing through with his entourage. Waking up one morning after a heavy night, Dionysus discovered that his tutor, Silenus, was missing. Silenus was a satyr, half-man, half goat. He had been drinking and
