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

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, fr, it

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.