Epistola ad Mahomatem II

This is a text and translation with introduction, notes, and index, of the Epistola ad Mahomatem II ( Epistle to Mohammed II) of Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini (Pope Pius II, 1458-1464). Written ca. 1460, the goal of the epistle is to persuade Mohammed II, who had conquered Constantinople in 1453, not to press his attack on the West and to persuade him of the benefits of converting to Christianity. The epistle is an eloquent presentation of humanistic values and an interesting document of contemporary, occidental attitudes towards Islam and the Moslem religion.