Antiquity Studies

Epigraphic Falsification

Methods and Case Studies

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open access | peer reviewed

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

Thema codes NKX • 3K • 1DST

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 fr, it, en

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.