I have difficulties in understanding the following sentence. Could anyone help me, please?
“Had the Greeks held novelty in such disdain as we”. What does it say about ROMANS?

In the following Context:

Rome had money. Greece was the inventor; Rome, the research and development division. Such indeed was the opinion of some of the more intellectual Romans. “Had the Greeks held novelty in such disdain as we,” asked Horace in his Epistles, “what work of ancient date would now exist?”

Question

I have difficulties in understanding the following sentence. Could anyone help me, please?
“Had the Greeks held novelty in such disdain as we”. What does it say about ROMANS?

In the following Context:

Rome had money. Greece was the inventor; Rome, the research and development division. Such indeed was the opinion of some of the more intellectual Romans. “Had the Greeks held novelty in such disdain as we,” asked Horace in his Epistles, “what work of ancient date would now exist?”

Answer

It means the Greeks thought highly of innovations. If they had not done so, we wouldn't have seen such wonderful historical work that had been passed down from them. It suggests Romans treated novelty scornfully.

Answer

Perfect answer by Chino Alpha. Romans were not keen on philosophy and abstract sciences, and they simply made use of what Greeks had produced, to copy it (eg see statues): since they were highly conscious of this fact (eg Cicero or Horatius and their philosophy), they ask here -- What about our culture if Greeks also had been so 'mean' as us.

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