3. Plato
The first aesthetic theory of any scope is that of Plato, (c. 429-347 BCE) a little after but about the same time period as the Discobolus. Plato believed that reality consists of archetypes, or forms, beyond human sensation, which are the models for all things that exist in human experience. The objects of such experience are examples, or imitations, of those forms. The artist copies the experienced object, or uses it as a model for the work. Thus, the artist's work is an imitation of an imitation. In his Republic, Plato went so far as to banish some types of artists from his ideal society because he thought their work encouraged immorality or portrayed base characters, and that certain musical compositions caused laziness or incited people to immoderate actions. If we compare this to our own revolutionary modern art and music as an art form, we can understand the concerns Plato had for his society.