Antiquity Studies

Epigraphic Falsification

Methods and Case Studies

crossmark logo

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