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The word impotence is derived from the Latin word impotencia, which literally translated means lack of power. The oldest reference to impotence was made in the Samhita of Sushruta, around the eighth century BC in India. An attempt was made to describe the causes of the condition, suggesting at least four, i.e. voluntary, congenital, praecox and diseases of the genital organs. In fact, the ancient Hindus believed that impotence could also be of mental origin, from intercourse with a distasteful woman. Many interesting remedies were recommended within the Samhita, including eating the testes of a goat, either by boiling the testes in milk and adding sesame seeds and lard of a porpoise, or by mixing the testes with salt, powdered pepper fish and clarified butter.

In Ancient Egypt, impotence was considered to be of two types: a natural cause where a 'man is incapable of accomplishing the sex act' and to have a supernatural element such that evil charms and spells could cause impotence. The Egyptian Papyrus Ebers, a medical Egyptian document dated 1600 BC, lists 811 prescriptions for various ailments, including impotence. In that, baby crocodiles' hearts were mixed with wood oil to the appropriate consistency, and this then be smeared into the husband's penis to restore his potency . Another remedy consisted of an oral combination of 37 substances. Only some of these have been identifiable: carob, juniper, pine, salt, various oils and watermelon.

In Greek mythology impotence in adult life was caused by sexual anxiety in childhood. In one example, King Phylacus of Phylace asked his physician, Melampus, to cure his son, Iphiclus, of impotence. Melampus established that Iphiclus had seen his father come towards him with a blood-stained gelding knife when he was a child, and was terrified that his father was going to castrate him. This fear as a child manifested as impotence in adulthood. Melampus agreed to cure Iphiclus in return for some cattle, and told the King to scrape off the rust from the knife, which was buried in a tree, and put it into a cup of wine. When Iphiclus drank this wine, he was cured of his impotence.