ABSTRACT
This article explores the significance of the suburbs as a liminal space in ancient Greek and Roman literature, focusing on the imperial period. I argue that the suburbs recur as a setting of preternatural stories, such as those found in Philostratus, Lucian, and Petronius. Non-coincidentally, the “demonic” operates on the outskirts of town; suburbs comprise a specific area that both literally and figuratively constitutes the limen of the city, and demons are commonly regarded as liminal beings. By virtue of this symbolic connection, the urban periphery appears as an ideal location for the demonic.
