A collection of twenty-four Carmina by Sidonius survives, consisting of occasional verse, including panegyrics on different emperors , which document several important political events and draw largely upon Statius, Ausonius and Claudian. Sidonius emphasises Rome's past successes and glories as a "crisis mirror" for contemporary rulers, suggesting both the degree to which Rome had declined but also the possibility of revitalisation. In both Carmen 7 for Avitus and Carmen 5 for Majorian, Sidonius reviews past emperors and concludes that only those who earnt the title through virtue, especially the military virtue of Vespasian and above all Trajan, deserved praise - an implicit challenge to the new emperors. Other virtues are also important; Carmen 2 praises Anthemius for his mastery of the liberal arts.
