“Greece, the captive, took her savage victor captive and brought the arts into rustic Latium,” wrote Horace, a Roman poet describing the relationship between Greece and Rome. (CITE) In other words, Horace thought that while Rome won the battle, Greece won the war in so much as its culture remained viable in Rome. After a victorious battle, the Romans collected Greek valuables and headed home. For example, a Roman general, Fulvius Nobilior, paraded over a thousand bronze and marble statues through the streets of Rome from “dawn to dusk” causing every wealthy Roman to desire one of their own. Soon, copies of Greek art filled Rome’s homes. Other items like medical books found their way to Rome in a similar fashion. Romans admired them so
