Why did western Europeans look back to the art of ancient Greece and Rome?

The beginnings of Western civilization can be traced back to the ancient Near East, where people in Mesopotamia and Egypt developed organized societies and created the ideas and institutions that we associate with civilization. The later Greeks and Romans, who played such a crucial role in the development of Western civilization, were themselves nourished and influenced by these older societies in the Near East. Around 3000 B.C., people in Mesopotamia and Egypt began to develop cities and wrestle with the problems of organized states. They developed writing to keep records and created literature. They constructed monumental architecture to please their gods, symbolize their power, and preserve their culture for all time.

First of all, Greece and Rome are in Europe. Second, almost all western languages spoken today draw from these tho ancient languages, specially Latin. Third, because Latin is the official language of the Catholic Church. Fourth, because remains of sculptures, enttire buildings &c. are scattered through Europe today.