Hadrian had his mausoleum decorated with elaborate artwork and sculptures. Unfortunately not much of this survives, chiefly because the popes decided to make this their personal fortress, and hightailed it here whenever the going got rough (which was often, because in the years from 500 to 1500 AD, Rome experienced an invasion or rebellion on average every two years). The statues, which were made by the empire's best sculptors, were used as artillery in 527. Surrounded by invading barbarians, the pope ordered his soldiers to cut down the statues and hurl them at the barbarians below. The strategy worked apparently as the barbarians fled the deluge of statuary.