17 Narrative Structure and Verbal Aspect Choice in Luke mode. It is perfective in aspect because the action of φοβ θησαν is perceived as a whole, post factum, from the perspective of an observer witnessing the events transpire45. Whereas the imperfectives are viewed internally as they occur, the aorist φοβ θησαν is viewed externally from within the already internally focused surrounding discourse. Thus, within an internally focused passage there can be a second layer of inter- nal/external perspectival opposition. In v. 36, the mode of discourse changes and the narrator intrudes upon the mimetic discourse with three discrete facts recorded by aorist verbs: “Jesus was found”, “they were silent”, and “they told nothing”. This is the diegetic mode of discourse, and the events are related directly by the voice of the narrator, as the dramatic experience has ended46. The phrase ν κε ναις τα ς μ ραις functions here in a similar way as in the previous examples. It serves to create a distance from its referent, the previous internally focused narrative (34-35). Moreover, along with the aorist verb π γγειλαν that it accompanies, the phrase allows the narrator to make a direct commentary on the events from his own removed perspective, outside of the internal viewpoint of the narrative. The use of the phrase here implies that the disciples did indeed at some later date tell others of what they then had seen47. While they were reticent “in those days”, the reader implicitly understands that, in the present time of the speaking consciousness, the disciples have told others, else Luke would have no way of describing this scene as a historian who claims in his preface to be drawing upon eyewitness accounts48. Moreover, this particular variation of the phrase, with the adjective κε ναις placed between ν and τα ς as opposed to the first two examples where the adjective was last in the phrase, seems to have a subtle future or potential emphasis from within the viewpoint of the narrative, while still effecting narratorial distance from its referent49. Thus, the statement necessitates an aorist verb because the action must be described from a perspective that can view the entire 45 See Bakker, “Verbal Aspect”, 42-43, 43 n. 74, where he links this use of the aorist to the so-called “dramatic aorist” (cf., Smyth, Greek Grammar, §1937). 46 As F. Bovon has noted, the account here lacks the subjectivity (i.e., mimesis) present in Mark’s version (Das Evangelium nach Lukas (Zürich – Neukirchen – Vluyn 1989) I, 502). 47 In Mark’s account of the transfiguration, which was likely one of Luke’s sources for the pericope, Jesus commands the disciples to tell no one until after his resurrection (Mark 9,9). See also Matt 9,9. 48 See Luke 1,2. 49 BAGD lists ν τα ς μ ραις κε ναις as past-referring and ν κε ναις τα ς μ ραις as future-referring, especially of end times (302, s.v. κε νος, b. β). In the corpus of Luke-Acts there are eight occurrences of the phrase, five as ν τα ς μ ραις κε ναις (Luke 2,1; 4,2 and