> and had the resources to build as much as the Romans did would less of their buildings have survived or would they have been of worse quality everything else staying equal?
Thanks for the question.
It would be a very long discussion to have in details, starting from the fact that even in ancient Rome there was some culture of preservation, like the restoration of 82 temples in the programs of Augustus (see “Preservation Practices in Ancient and Medieval Rome”), but it wasn't until 15th century that a real program of preservation and protection of old buildings was created by the papacy.
Rome was, more than any other city of its times, subject to invasions and destruction of its ancient monuments, used as construction material for new buildings and churches.
The need for churches was actually more a detriment than a a blessing.
The capital was moved to Constantinople more than a century before the sack of Rome and the fall of the western Roman empire, its monuments, its marbles, its travertine, its bricks, have been for more than a millennium up for grabs, by many conquerors.
In Greek cities, for example, there were no monuments to steal from, because they had been ruins for centuries already, Rome almost disappeared during the middle ages and, but the need for materials and the sacks never stopped, making new buildings, every time larger and richer, was the new normal, it was probably the most prolific period in history.
The fact that so many Roman buildings survived despite most of the original material was removed and used somewhere else, it's kinda miraculous.
Take for example two great historical figures: Alexander the great and Genghis Khan, their empires were immense, some of the largest in history, but buildings of their era are virtually non existent.
It wasn't their strongest trait, they were not builders.
Compare them to the Mesopotamians or the Egyptians and it becomes easier to see the difference.
Greeks influenced a lot both Etruscan and Romans, but it was more of a style.
Advanced construction techniques in Etruscan region were brought directly by Greek natives, but only the most privileged classes built proper houses, the rest of the population was living in villages made by tents or wooden shelters.
That's why very few of them survived.