Herpes is an
ancient disease that still has no modern cure. Herpes infection has been known even during the ancient times of Greek city-states. The
sexual promiscuity of Greeks may have been the main reason for the prevalence of herpes infection during that time.
One reference of herpes infection during the
Elizabethan era was in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet when the dialogue of one character of this play, Queen Mab says: "O'er ladies lips, who straight on kisses dream, which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are." This clearly refers to herpes infection in the mouth area.
