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

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 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.