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

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, en, 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.