Reminds me a bit of the Jorge Luis Borges short story on the author trying to re-write, word for word, Don Quixote, and whether that would be a greater artistic achievement even than the original. After all, Cervantes lived in those times, but the modern author would have to invent (or re-capture) the historical details, idioms, customs, language, and characters that are very much of the times.

I think, from Borges' perspective, it's supposed to be an interesting satire. Obviously there would not be an original word in the new Don Quixote, so how could it be a greater achievement than the "real" one?