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The artistic temperament of Hadrian manifested itself in his poetry, his architectural designs, his very style of life. Four complete poems of his composition survive; they illustrate an exceptional technical mastery of versification, although the manner of expression is often artificial and the subjects are slight. His most famous verses are the lines addressed to his soul and reportedly uttered as he lay dying. In architecture, the emperor had a notorious quarrel with a leading contemporary architect, Apollodorus of Damascus, whom it is even alleged Hadrian had put to death. His ultimate artistic achievement was undoubtedly the villa he created ...(100 of 2814 words)