The Greeks used standard types because they believed that the world of objects was a series of typical forms which could be represented in several instances.
ðə ɡɹˈiːks jˈuːzd stˈændɚd tˈaɪps bɪkˈʌz ðeɪ bᵻlˈiːvd ðætðə wˈɜːld ʌv ˈɑːbdʒɛkts wʌzɐ sˈɪɹiz ʌv tˈɪpɪkəl fˈɔːɹmz wˌɪtʃ kʊd biː ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛntᵻd ɪn sˈɛvɹəl ˈɪnstənsᵻz.