Since the perception of demons in antiquity depended on particular cultural and religious milieus, the authors in this volume take into view various texts - ranging from amulets, spells, apocalypses, martyrdom literature to hagiography - and focus specifically on literary aspects of the transformation of demons and their contextualization. Are specific conceptions of demons characteristic for a certain genre or, rather, for particular religious contexts, so that they appear as topoi independent of genre? Do certain representations of demons prevail in pagan, Jewish and Christian circles alike, irrespective of religious background? How do notions of demons function in apocalypses, hymns, hagiographies or texts from healing procedures and what interdependencies of genre and social context can be traced? These questions are analysed from diverse disciplinary perspectives that offer some fresh and surprising answers.

Eva Elm and Nicole Hartmann, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany.