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

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.