[hprints-00683151, v2] Enea Silvio Piccolomini (Pius II ... - Hprints.org

hprints-00683151, version 2 - 19 Mar 2013
1.1.4. The alternative route south of Sicily and through Florentine territory
[25] The seaport Pisa 315 is much farther away, and if the Greeks take that route, they
will want to avoid the Strait of Scylla and Charybdis 316 through which the passage is
unsafe. Therefore, they will sail all around Sicily 317 whose circumference, if the
ancients are to be believed, measures at least 500.000 passus 318 . No Florentine
needs to be angry with me on this score 319 , for I do not point out this fact in order to
rob their splendid city and famous people of the council: their devotion to the
council is well-known and great, and they have made a truly remarkable offer.
Already at the time of the first request from the council, they promised such a large
amount that you may hope for even greater boons from this people in the future. 320
But so that we may not appear to be completely blind and ignorant: what I am
saying 321 is evident from the map commonly used by seamen 322 . On the other hand,
I do not attach great importance to this question as the council should not be
bestowed or taken away depending on whether the travel takes three or four days
more.
315
Pisa: coastal city in Tuscany
316
Scylla and Charybdis: two mythological sea monsters, which tradition placed on each side of the Messina strait
317
Sicily (Sicilia): largest Island of the Mediterranean
318
Passus: Roman measure of distance, ca. 1.5 meter
319
Piccolomini points out that if the council were to be held in Florence, the Greeks would then have to take the
longer sea route South of Siciliy
320
Does Piccolomini really believe this, or is he subtly dropping poison into the ears of the council fathers?
321
i.e. about the passage south of Sicily and to Pisa
322
An interesting early reference to nautical charts, possibly a “portolano”
75