Pope Pius II

Pope from 1458 to 1464, born Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini, he was a humanist writer who campaigned for a crusade against the Ottoman Empire.

Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini: The birth name of Pope Pius II, who wrote poetry, history, and autobiography before and during his papacy. His pre-papal writings and career reveal the humanist identity behind the papal name.
Congress of Mantua: A gathering convened by Pius II in Mantua from 1459 to 1460 to organize resistance to Ottoman expansion. The congress was his main diplomatic effort to turn crusade advocacy into a European coalition.
Callixtus III: Pope from 1455 to 1458 who promoted a crusade against the Ottoman Empire after the fall of Constantinople. His crusading policy set a precedent that Pius II sought to revive.
Commentaries of Pius II: Pius II's Latin autobiography, an account of his life and papacy written in the third person. The work records his self-fashioning as a humanist, diplomat, and pope.
Fall of Constantinople: The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, which ended the Byzantine Empire. The conquest became the central event behind Pius II's repeated calls for a crusade.
Council of Basel: A church council held from 1431 to 1449 that challenged papal authority and debated church reform. Piccolomini served the council before becoming a prominent defender of papal authority.
Papal bull: A formal document issued by a pope and authenticated with a seal. Pius II used papal documents to summon support and give institutional force to his plans.
Mehmed II: Ottoman sultan from 1451 to 1481 who conquered Constantinople in 1453 and expanded Ottoman power. Mehmed's conquests gave urgency to Pius II's calls for a united Christian response.
Historia de duobus amantibus: A Latin prose romance about two lovers, written by Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini before his papacy. Its literary fame shows the secular humanist writing that preceded his papal career.
Siege of Ancona: The 1460–1461 Ottoman siege of the Adriatic port of Ancona, which ended when Ottoman forces withdrew. The siege sharpened Italian fears that Pius's proposed expedition would arrive too late.

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