Una lectura interesada de Catulo (carm. 63): el falso epígrafe de Pasitea a orillas del Tajo (CIL II 97*)

A fake inscription forged in the early 16th century mentions the existence "in ripis Tagi" of a temple dedicated to the Great Mother "sub nomine magnae Pasitheae" (CIL II 97*). As its falsehood was already detected in the early 17th century, there has never been a satisfactory explanation of the reason which led the forger to use Pasithea (according to Homer, one of the Graces, and to Hesiod, a Nereid) as an appellation of the Magna Mater. A revision of the epigraphic sources is provided and, by using the philological instruments (early editions, humanistic commentaries, etc.) available to the author of the forgery, the origin of the confusion between Pasithea and Cybele is identified. This can be traced to Catullus’ poem 63, the corrupt state of which made the text very difficult to understand, and favoured a series of mistakes and inexact interpretations, whose last consequence was the Spanish fake inscription.