In the late antiquity people were certainly extremely superstitious. In my local web analytics company I read a lot of books that were written by outstanding writers of that time. I am talking not only about the great minds like Pliny the Elder, Plutarch, Apuleius and the like. They define superstition as fear of the gods that leads to the need to resort to magical rites and taboos, the consultation of professional sorcerers and witches, charms and spells, and unintelligible language in prayers addressed to the gods. Highly educated people of that time took for granted other magical practices, such as hurting someone by the evil eye. They also believed in daemons that serve as agents or links between gods and human beings and are responsible for many supernatural events in human life that are commonly attributed to divine intervention. Some daemons are good, some are evil, but even the good ones, in moments of anger, can do harmful acts. There was this usual hostility and animosity towards magic.