The ancient gods lived high atop Mount Olympus. They loved, quarreled, and meddled in human affairs. They had amongst them a goddess of love whom the Romans called Venus and the Greeks Aphrodite. In time, these names followed different trajectories. Venereal became what you get after a night with Bacchus and Venus. Mons Veneris, or Mount of Venus, is a polite anatomical name not to be confused with Mount Olympus.

The name Aphrodite has received better press than Venus. It refers to substances believed to arouse sexual desire or improve performance. Such substances are legion and must be taken with a grain of salt. They include basil, myrtle, rose, rosemary, figs, and honey, oysters because of their resemblance to the female genitalia, seafood because of its high omega-3 fatty acid content, and also saffron and cinnamon, nuts, avocados, and pumpkin seeds. Zinc is highly recommended, a metal still searching for a disease to cure. Another piece of advice is to take at least one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil daily and derive twenty percent of one’s caloric intake from fat.

Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a stimulant associated with romantic love, but in quantities too small to have a significant impact. Coffee fulfilled a similar function: Arabian potentates fortified themselves with coffee before visiting their harem. It was believed to enhance sexual performance by increasing blood flow to the relevant organs and was forbidden to nuns because it would have increased their lust.

Also recommended at various times were yohimbine (found in the bark of yohimbé trees in West Africa), ambergris (from the gut of sperm whales), bufotenine (from the skin and glands of the bufo toad), horny goat weed (epimedium herbal), ginseng, cannabis, watermelon, asparagus, and alcohol, famous for removing inhibitions. Tonic tea was promoted to improve erectile function, and “sperm multiplier” tablets were used to increase sperm count. The Chinese prefer ginseng (the root of any member of the genus Panax), maca root, ginkgo biloba, saffron, and epimedium (horny goat weed). The Japanese were told to eat crustaceans and fatty seafood. Others have been advised to use pistachios, walnuts, figs, strawberries, or lettuce. Testosterone may help, but it is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Another way to “increase a man’s potency” is to hit his testicles or rub his penis with magical creams, herbs, oils, and liquids to encourage erection and increase women’s desire. In antiquity, a certain herb was promoted that could produce twelve erections in a row.

In contemporary society, the focus has shifted to scientifically studied supplements and pharmaceuticals. Drugs such as sildenafil (Viagra) cause erections, blurring the line between folklore, science, and medicine. Some agents stimulate endorphin release or increase blood flow, which might have a mild impact on sexual arousal. Others have traditionally gained notoriety as powerful aphrodisiacs but are dangerous toxins, such as certain chili peppers or cantharidin (Spanish fly).

In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the fairy Puck uses a love potion made from the flower love-in-idleness, also known as the wild pansy. It is applied to sleeping people’s eyes, causing them to fall in love with whomever they see on waking up. Dr. Dulcamara, in Gaetano Donizetti’s Elixir of Love, sells ordinary red wine as an effective love potion. In Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde, the hero Tristan goes to Ireland to ask for the hand of the princess Isolde from his uncle, King Mark of Cornwall. On their return, the two mistakenly drink a love potion prepared for the king and fall deeply in love.

The belief in aphrodisiacs relies heavily on psychology and suggestion. It arises from the fundamental human desire for sexual enhancement, intimacy, pleasure, and power. Whether rooted in ancient culture or modern science, it reflects our complex relationship with sexuality and other intricate aspects of human experience.