blog for December 30 A FIRST CENTURY CE APOTHECARY

Miriam’s friend Aspasia operated an apothecary from a storefront shop just beyond the West Gate of the agora. Like the one pictured here, her shelves were lined with carefully labeled ceramic jars of oils, resins, powders, and herbs, and scrolls of medicinal recipes.

In “Deadly Confrontation,” published in the December 2025 issue of Black Sheep: Unique Tales of Terror and Wonder, Miriam tells of her alarm upon entering Aspasia’s shop one evening:

The oddly quiet apothecary made me uneasy. In the evenings, Aspasia is usually whistling through her pleated lips while sweeping out the days grit, the yellowish-white braid straggling down her back swinging in rhythm with her tune and the strokes of her broom. But then, like the mew of a wounded animal, I heard the smallest moan from behind the wicker screen at the back of her shop.

I’d known Aspasia for ages and appreciated her as a woman who understood the importance of a healer’s vital appearance. Yet now, her hollowed-out cheeks were blotched with raw color as she rocked back and forth on her makeup stool.

Aspasia collapsed in my arms like a rag doll. “Oh, Miriam, she’s gone. My blooming flower. My Katerina . . . gone.”

When Miriam asked what she could do, Aspasia answered, “Find out who killed her.”

In the process, Miriam learns about rage and the need for members of a

marginalized community to feel accepted. To accompany Miriam through the streets of Alexandria, just click here.