What is a counter?
a. the imaginary horizontal line aligning the bodies of the characters
b. the curved stroke coming from the stem
c. the tapered features at the end of strokes
d. the empty space inside the body stroke

D.  the empty space inside the body stroke

i believe the answer is: a.  abstract forms were often used to represent human figures.

representing human figures in abstract forms is often used in the geometric period, not hellenistic  period.   during the hellenistic  period,   aesthetic value derived from creating arts which mimic the actual shape of a certain object or individuals.

hope this ! < 3

the sculpture i am pretty sure you are talking about is the statue b. the david statue now lives in the galleria dell'accademia, florence, italy. it was made by ‎michelangelo.