Trajan’s court architect, the summit of Roman engineering
Court architect to the emperor Trajan and the great synthesizer of Roman engineering. He designed the grand Forum of Trajan and Trajan’s Market (called "the world’s first shopping mall"), Trajan’s Column wound with its spiral relief, and the longest bridge in the world of its day across the Danube. Rome’s greatest architectural contribution was pushing the arch, the vault, and concrete to their limits, creating vast interior spaces the Greeks could not have imagined — and Apollodorus was the most brilliant operator of this "Roman engineering magic." He is said to have been put to death for criticizing the architectural designs of the emperor Hadrian — the tragedy of a too-proud genius architect.
Legend says that when Hadrian was still a prince and sought Apollodorus’s advice on architecture, the master publicly mocked him: "Go and draw your pumpkins (domes)." After Hadrian became emperor, he built the great dome of the Pantheon — to prove himself, it is said. Apollodorus later criticized the proportions of Hadrian’s temple design, finally enraging the emperor, and was exiled and put to death — brilliance without restraint cost him his life.
The account of Apollodorus being put to death for criticizing Hadrian comes mainly from historians, its details doubtful; this site states it as such.
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.