 Christianity was far from accepted amongst the higher echelons of society; among members of the army the worship of Mithras would have been stronger.Although the conversion of the Emperor Constantine and the subsequent programme of church-building gave a greater impetus to the spread of the religion, it was still a minority faith.As the son of a veteran officer, Martin at fifteen was required to join a cavalry "ala." At the age of 18 around 334 or 354, he was stationed at "Ambianensium civitas" or Samarobriva in Gaul (now Amiens, France).