Antiquity Studies

Epigraphic Falsification

Methods and Case Studies

crossmark logo

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

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 it, fr, 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.