Technology shrinks the world. We know instantly when disaster strikes on the opposite side of the world, and normally have video footage to show it. Within business, video conferencing and email make the most distant suppliers seem like neighbours next door, albeit neighbours with funny work and sleep patterns.

The Roman Empire had fantastic technology: underfloor heating, running water and a functioning road system. Getting a message from one end of the Empire to another would take weeks, even on the best roads. And yet Rome ruled one of the largest empires ever for over 400 years without any of the technology we take for granted.

When Pilate left Rome with the less than attractive brief of running a troublesome backwater called Judea, he was on his own. The good news is that he did not have head office staff calling him every day to explain variations against budget in the salt tax, or demanding an update on the latest aqueduct building programme. And when things went wrong, he had to deal with it himself: he could not call a quick phone conference to get advice on dealing with the latest trouble makers. And if that meant he crucified the wrong person, well … whoops. Mistakes might happen, but the Empire kept going.