Oration “Optasset” of Enea Silvio Piccolomini (23 April 1455, Wiener Neustadt). Ed. and transl. by Michael von Cotta-Schönberg. 4th version. (Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II; 25)

Published as part of project Edition and Translation of the Orations of Enea Silvio PiccolominiThe imperial diet in Wiener Neustadt which opened in February 1455 was to decide on the practical implementation of earlier decisions concerning a military response to the Turkish war of aggression against Europe. For various reasons, neither the emperor nor the German princes were keen on this venture, and the news of the death of Pope Nicolaus V in reality dealt the final blow to the plans since that pope had been responsible for mobilizing a strong Italian fleet in support of the German land army. It fell to the imperial diplomat, Bishop Piccolomini of Siena, to announce, in the oration “Optasset” of 23 April, the formal postponement of the military expedition until May 1456, but everyone would have been aware that this might be tantamount to a cancellation of the whole venture