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

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 en, fr, 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.