Resistance

Imperfect of Resistance or Refusal.—With a negative, the imperfect often denotes resistance or refusal (would not or could not). The aorist with a negative denotes unrestricted denial of a fact.

τὴν πρόκλησιν οὐκ ἐδέχεσθε you would not accept the proposal T. 3.64 (τὴν ἱκετείᾱν οὐκ ἐδέξαντο they did not receive the supplication 1. 24), ὁ μὲν οὐκ ἐγάμει, ὁ δὲ ἔγημεν the one would not marry, the other did D. 44.17, οὐδὲ φωνὴν ἤκουον, εἴ τις ἄλλο τι βούλοιτο λέγειν they would not even listen to a syllable if ever any one wished to say anything to the contrary D. 18.43. So οὐκ εἴᾱ he would not allow (he was not for allowing).

If simple positive and negative are contrasted, the aorist is preferred with the latter: τὰ ὑπάρχοντά τε σῴζειν (positive with present) καὶ ἐπιγνῶναι μηδέν (negative with aorist) to preserve what you have, and to form no new plans T. 1.70. But where the verb itself contains or implies a negative idea, the present is used: παρεῖναι καὶ μὴ ἀποδημεῖν to be present and not to be abroad Aes. 2.59.