Antiquity Studies

Epigraphic Falsification

Methods and Case Studies

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open access | peer reviewed
    edited by
  • Lorenzo Calvelli - Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Italia - email orcid profile

Abstract
The book investigates the complex articulations of epigraphic forgery, a phenomenon widely attested in Italy between the late Middle Ages and the 18th century. Non-genuine inscriptions or falsae, as Theodor Mommsen called them, are those that present themselves as ancient, but in reality are not. They can be produced either on material support or simply on paper. Within them, different types of documents can be distinguished: forgeries made for malicious purposes, replicas of ancient inscriptions, and texts or monuments inspired by classical epigraphic models. The book brings together fifteen scholarly essays, which examine individual cases of forgery, reconstruct the epistemology of forgery criticism and rehabilitate numerous epigraphs mistakenly believed to be forgeries, while confirming their actual antiquity.

Keywords Epigraph balanced between dimensions and inscripti • Meyranesio • Antiquarian market in the early 1900s • Forged inscriptions • Pirro Ligorio • Coarse altar • Aquileia • Forgery • Epigraphic models • Roman Liguria • Christian forgeries • Senatus consultum • Internet • Antonio Trevisi • Forged blunder • Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum • Epigraphic research • Epigraphic forgeries on paper • John Disney • Casa Museo dell’Antiquariato Ivan Bruschi • Classical scholarship • Savoy Piedmont • Manuscripts • Lucas Peto • Forgeries • Copies • Ancient restorations • Latin poets of Renaissance • Spurious imitations • Counterfeit instrumentum inscriptum • Fitzwilliam Museum • Aqua Vergine • Inscribed zone as decorative surface • Fake inscriptions • Antiquarians • CIL VI 991* • Critical editions • False inscriptions • Manuscript • House of Savoy • Primacy of Sardinia • Printed editions • Pseudo-antique palaeography • Digital editions • Ager Mediolanensis • Renaissance • Thomas Hollis • Cities • Decretum Rubiconis • Ciriaco de’ Pizzicolli • Epigraphic forgeries • Epitaph • CIL VI 990* • Fake • Latin epigraphy • Luigi Biraghi • Marche • Intellectual history • Lepontic • Lex de imperio Vespasiani Antonio Agustín • Documentary forgeries • Jacopo Valvasone • Spain • Pingone • Non-alphabetic graphemes • G • Mariangelo Accursio • Council of Trent • F • Amphora • Epigraphy • Theodor Mommsen • Aqueducts

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-386-1 | e-ISBN 978-88-6969-386-1 | ISBN (PRINT) 978-88-6969-387-8 | Number of pages 312 | Dimensions 16x23cm | Published Dec. 16, 2019 | Language en, fr, it

Copyright © 2019 Lorenzo Calvelli. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.