Travel and information moved slowly in the ancient world. It could take
a month or even longer for news from Judaea to reach Rome. It was essential,
therefore, that Rome trust its allies, especially in the East, which bordered
on the hostile kingdom of Parthia. Thus, a wise client king ensured that his
patrons never doubted his loyalty or faithfulness. Herod recognized early this
need for reliability, and he was consistently careful to solicit approval from
Rome and its leaders before embarking on a major decision or course of action.
As a result, Anthony and later Augustus were able to exercise a reasonable
amount of control over decisions in Judaea that concerned them. For example, as
we saw earlier, Herod wanted to kill Malichos immediately after discovering his
role in Antipater’s death. Nevertheless, before taking any action ,he waited to
receive permission from Cassius, who was in charge of the East at that time.
When Herod began to suspect his sons Alexander and Aristobulus of treason, he
took them to Rome with him and laid his claims before Augustus. This visit and
the decision to solicit Rome’s approval was an intelligent one, because Herod
could shield himself from any culpability by depicting himself as merely
following his patron’s advice. Further, by bringing the matter to Rome, he
would show his willingness to consult August before taking any action. Such
produce would have pleased Augustus because it would have enabled him to
control succession within the Judaean kingdom, an issue of central importance.
During the inquiry, Alexander persuaded Augustus that he and his brother
were guilty not of treason but merely of speaking ill of their father. Augustus
reproved the youths and then reconciled them with their father. This
reconciliation was short-lived, and in the end it was in vain. Nevertheless,
when Herod finally executed the two princes, he first secured written approval
from Rome. He follows a similar procedure prior to executing another son,
Antipater. Indeed, not only did Herod inform Augustus, but he also invited the
governor of Syria, Quinctilius Varus, to represent Rome at the trial and to
give his opinion on the matter. In this way, he received official sanction for
his actions not only from Varus, but also from August, who wrote back approving
any action that might be taken. Deferring to Rome may have been the central
obligation for a client king, but one with little downside. More often than
not, Augustus permitted his client kings to act however they chose. Thus Herod
ingratiated himself with his Orman patron at little cost, since he retained his
freedom of action. (Adam Kolman Marshak, The Many Faces of Herod the Great [Grand
Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2015], 147-48)