Person

Pope Pius II

1405–1464 · 15th century · Also known as Enea Silvio Piccolomini, Aeneas Sylvius

Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini, was a humanist scholar and pope from 1458 to 1464. He tried to organise a crusade against the Ottomans after the fall of Constantinople, accepted Monemvasia from the last despot of the Morea and condemned Sigismondo Malatesta of Rimini. His Commentaries are a unique papal autobiography.

Pope Pius II
Image: Pinturicchio · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Lordship of RiminiPrince-Provostry of EllwangenVenetian Monemvasia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Pope Pius II. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-pius-ii
MLA
“Pope Pius II.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-pius-ii. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Pope Pius II.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-pius-ii.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Pope Pius II’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-pius-ii (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻