Endymion
In Caria there is a Mount Latmus, which has a cave containing the shepherd Endymion, a youth of surpassing beauty. Selene, the moon, found him there one night, lay beside him, and kissed his eyes. He sleeps there permanently in a magic trance, never growing older, as a captive of the moon.
Melampus
A famed seer and physician, Melampus acquired his prophetic powers in a strange way. When his servants killed a pair of snakes Melampus buried them and raised their young. As he was sleeping two of his snakes crawled up and licked his ears, which gave him the ability to understand the speech of all living creatures. His brother Bion wanted to marry Pero, but her father demanded the cattle of Iphiclus in return for his daughter. Melampus offered his aid, but was caught and jailed in trying to steal the cattle. In prison he heard the termites saying the building would collapse soon. He told this to Iphiclus' father, and it came true. Iphiclus' father then said Melampus could have the cattle if he found the reason for Iphiclus being childless. Melampus learned the secret from a vulture, obtained the cattle, and saw his brother happily married to Pero.
Midas
Dionysus passed through Phrygia on his way to India, and there his drunken follower Silenus wandered into the rose gardens of King Midas, the wealthiest man in the world. Midas entertained Silenus for several days and learned the Mysteries of Dionysus from him. Then Midas led the reveler back to Dionysus, who promised to grant anything he wished for. The king wished that all he touched would turn to gold, and Dionysus granted the wish. When Midas tried to eat, his food turned to gold, so the starving man returned to Dionysus to get him to retract his gift. The god told Midas to wash in the River Pactolus, which he did, thereby turning the sands to gold but curing himself. On another occasion Midas preferred Pan to Apollo in a musical contest, so Apollo gave him a pair of asses' ears. Midas hid his ears under a cap, and only his barber knew of them, but he had promised to tell no one. Burdened with this secret the barber went down to the shore, scooped out a hole and whispered, "Midas has asses' ears," into it. The next year reeds grew in that spot, and as the wind rustled through them the reeds repeated the secret to everyone who came past.
