Having borrowed the core of culture from Greece, what was Quintilians response in defense of Roman accomplishments?
Actually, Jim, your quotation is still justifying the study of Greek culture. Here is what Quintilian said about Greek vs. Roman culture, specifically Roman art, in the “Institutio Oratoria,” Book XII.x.36: “We cannot be so elegant; let us be more forceful. They win in terms of refinement; let us excel in weight. Their sense of propriety is more sure; let us surpass them in our copiousness. Even the lesser talents of the Greeks have their harbours; we are usually driven by larger sails, so let be them filled with a stronger wind.” From an art-historical point of view, and rhetorically-speaking, too, I’d say that Quintilian was right on target.
