Antiquity Studies

Epigraphic Falsification

Methods and Case Studies

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

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 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.