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

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, it, fr

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.