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

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.