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

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 fr, it, 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.