A history of retranslation is needed if we are to understand the time components of this phenomenon. Which concepts and paradigms are used to assess the value of original or translated texts in various cultures at various times? Based on the history of ideas and borrowing examples from the field of knowledge, the author argues that innovation could become the focal point of such an investigation. Revisiting concepts presently used to describe retranslation also suggests avenues toward a history centered on the perspectives of simultaneity to complement the prevalent diachronic approach.