However, Mita is better known by another name — Midas. Whether he was the actual mythical king famous for his extraordinary ability to transform anything he touched into gold is a historian’s guess. As the legend goes, the king was already very wealthy but he craved just that little bit more — the same kind of feeling stock traders centuries on — eager to hold out for that extra uptick before they “hit” what are already very profitable offers — will understand.
Mita of Mushki ruled over the Anatolian kingdom of Phrygia in the late 8th century. The rich and fertile lands in the western plateau of Asia Minor prospered as the intermediary between Greek and Persian states and its people were renowned metalworkers and potters. Oral records of the kingdom, which peaked in the 9th century BC, suggested immense gold resources which unexpectedly, attracted enemies.
The kingdom, barely remembered today, eventually became part of Persia and was conquered at different points in time by Alexander the Great and the Romans. When Rome itself split, Phrygia ended up as part of the Byzantine Empire. It sits north of Cappadocia in modern Turkey, which is a tourist attraction for its underground cities, fairy-like chimney rock formations and hot air ballooning for visitors.
