The Roman emperor at the time would have been Tiberius, who was a rather cruel man, even among emperors. Throwing people off of a cliff was a particular punish

The Roman emperor at the time would have been Tiberius, who was a rather cruel man, even among emperors. Throwing people off of a cliff was a particular punishment he seemed to enjoy, even for petty things. It is quite likely that Pilate feared for his life much more than looking like a fool. Under Tiberius those two might have been one in the same.