The Antiquitates of Annius of Viterbo. Traditions, interpretations, historiographical receptions in France

The thesis delves into the Antiquitates of Annius of Viterbo, the Etruscan pseudonym of the Dominican friar Giovanni Nanni, which represents one of the most famous forgeries of the Renaissance. Presented in the form of an in-folio divided into seventeen sections, this work includes both writings attributed to Annius himself and the texts of eleven ancient authorities presumed lost until 1498, among which are Berossus the Chaldean, Manetho the Egyptian, and Metasthenes the Persian, accompanied by a particularly complex commentary. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the interpretative traditions that have shaped the understanding of this work, and then to conduct a detailed analysis and interpretation of each chapter. Finally, this study examines the reception of the work in French historiography, particularly regarding national antiquities and their dual Franco-Gallic heritage following the Antiquitates.