"All great civilizations, in their early stages, are based on success in war"

This quote by Kenneth Clark suggests that all excellent civilizations have a typical start: success in war. This suggests that in order for a civilization to end up being terrific, it needs to first be able to safeguard itself and its individuals from outside hazards. This could be translated as a caution that a civilization must be prepared to eliminate for its survival in order to reach its full potential. It also indicates that a civilization needs to be willing to take risks and make sacrifices in order to attain achievement. This quote is a suggestion that a civilization should want to eliminate for its own success in order to reach its complete potential.