Oysters and asparagus are assumed to be aphrodisiacs, but this is only because of visual or olfactory associations.

The odor of wild thyme, Pliny tells us, drives away snakes. Dionysius of Syracuse, on the other hand, thinks it an aphrodisiac.

This unusual medicine, consisting of the remains of a caterpillar from which a thin fungus of similar length has sprouted, is said to be a powerful aphrodisiac and antidote to fatigue.