Naomi Janowitz 
Magic in the Roman World [PDF ebook] 
Pagans, Jews and Christians

Using in-depth examples of  »magical » practice such as exorcisms, love rites, alchemy and the transformation of humans into divine beings, this lively volume demonstrates that the word  »magic » was used widely in late antique texts as part of polemics against enemies and sometimes merely as a term for other people »s rituals. Naomi Janowitz shows that  »magical » activities were integral to late antique religious practice, and that they must be understood from the perspective of those who employed them.