Syphilis has a fascinating history that dates back to the 1490s during the French invasion of Italy. Interestingly, each country had its own name for the disease based on their enemies: the French called it the “Italian disease”, the Italians called it the “French disease”, the Ottomans called it the “Christian disease”, the Dutch called it the “Spanish disease”, and the Russians called it the “Polish disease”. The term syphilis was coined about forty years later by doctor Girolamo Fracastoro in a poem, where he described a shepherd named Syphilus who was chosen by the gods to spread the illness. This name quickly caught on and became the most commonly used term for the disease. The origins of the name Syphilus are still unclear, with theories suggesting it may have come from Sipylus, a figure in Roman mythology, or a Latinization of a Greek term meaning “pig lover”.