Quotation
Quote by Johann Joachim Winckelmann
The only way for us to become great, and even, if it is possible, inimitable, is by imitating the ancients.
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The speaker says that greatness comes through studying and imitating the achievements of earlier masters. “Inimitable” does not mean avoiding all influence; it means learning so deeply from the past that one eventually develops an unmatched result. The phrase “if it is possible” adds humility, acknowledging that becoming truly unique may be difficult.
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- Cambridge University Press
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