Tag Archives: Dramatic Aorist

The Aorist Indicative is sometimes used of a state of mind just reached, or of an act expressive of it. The effect is to give to the statement greater vividness than is given by the more usual Present.

Luke 16:4.; ἔγνων τί ποιήσω, I know [lit. I knew, or I perceived] what I shall do.

REMARK. This usage is in classical Greek mainly poetical and is found chiefly in dialogue. It is sometimes called “Aoristus tragicus.” Brugmann thus describes it: “Nicht selten wurde der Aorist von dem gebraucht, was soeben eingetreten ist, besonders von einer Stimmung, die soeben uber einen gekommen ist, oder von einem Urteil, das man sich soeben gebildet hat.”… Learn Koine Greek