ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author differentiates ‘mythical thinking’ (mythos) from the narrated stories themselves. He discusses what can be considered the main focus of mythological studies, signaling not only contemporary theoretical trends but also the basic problems and challenges to be met. The fact that Theodoros Terzopoulos so deeply got involved into myth perhaps has two reasons. First, it is good to realise that the corpus of myths that really matters to him is much larger than the ancient Greek one. Second, most of the stories that he staged with the Attis group reveal a strong Dionysian influence, modulated as they are as variations on the common theme of ekstas. As Theodoros sees it, the ‘aesthetics of the pause’, in the heath of some intensive moments, needs the experience to get to rest, to calm down, not only as a mental operation, but also as a mission for the whole body.
