Luke 14:31–32 in the Context of Ancient Diplomacy and Greco-Roman Historiographical Literature

Luke 14:31–32 tells a parable about a king going to war against another king but before engaging in battle the first king must decide if his army of 10 000 men can fight the second king’s army of 20 000 men. If not, the first king is expected to send an embassy to make peace. Not many commentators engage with this parable in any detail. Even fewer commentators recognise its imperial background. This article fills the scholarly gap by arguing that the Lukan parable conveys intimate familiarity with ancient diplomatic customs and Greco-Roman historiographical literature. It further speculates that Polybius of Megapolis’ passage in Hist. 3.15 is the most influential source for the parable, seemingly implying Luke’s familiarity with Polybius. The article reinforces the position that Luke was formally trained in historiography and employed such motifs and standards in his Gospel so that his material would appeal to his prospective Greco-Roman audience. As such, it situates Luke as both the first Christian historian and a follower of classical models of historiography.