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

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, en, 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.