Why does the story of King Midas reflect the history of Gold?

The history of gold is the history of civilization. From the time that early man found the first grains of gold, this sparkling yellow metal has fascinated mankind. Wars have been fought over it, women have adored it, men have killed for it and longed to own it.

Have you heard of King Midas? According to Greek mythology, he was granted the boon that anything he touched would turn to gold. At first , he was filled with joy when the leaves and fruits that he touched turned into gold. Very soon, however, he realized that the boon that he had asked for was in fact, a terrible curse. He could not eat, he could not drink, he could not even wash his hands because food and water turned into gold the minute he touched it! Finally, he begged the gods for mercy and was overjoyed when the awful boon was taken away.

The story teaches us a lesson that though gold may be beautiful, one should never be greedy for it. In spite of this, ancient kings and queens have always tried to amass as much gold as they could, which is why gold has been called the king of metals and the metal of king.