“Do Not Weep for Me, but Weep for Yourselves”: Luke 23,27–31 and Plato’s Phaedo 117c

Abstract Scholars have long recognized significant similarities between Plato’s Phaedo and the Gospel of Luke. However, the absence of convincing evidence confirming that Luke was acquainted with Phaedo has prevented scholars from asserting that he drew directly from Plato’s dialogue. Notably, previously overlooked are the remarkable resemblances between the narratives of Luke 23,27–33 and Phaedo 117c. The most straightforward explanation for these similarities is the direct influence of Plato’s narrative on the Lukan text.