Friday, May 6, 2011

The Ancient Greek Antidote To Greed

'Opa!' and King Midas's Greed
A famous Greek myth highlights the consequences of excessive greed. King Midas (Μίδας) so worshipped gold that when granted a wish by the god Dionysus (Διόνυσος), he asked that everything he touched turn to gold. Midas' wish was granted.

Everything Midas touched did turn to gold, and he became a very wealthy man. However, there were unexpected consequences of his greed. Literally everything he touched turned to gold, including the food he loved to taste, which he could no longer taste, and the people whose company he loved, whom he could no longer enjoy because they were turned into solid gold, too. We learn from the King Midas story that "greed is not good," that "all that glitters is not gold" and to "be careful what you wish for." This powerful and meaningful story has been passed down through the generations and was crafted to warn us about excessive greed.



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