Life of Martin of Tours gives a very brief view of Martin's life before he entered into the service of God. Upon entering a church at the age of 10, he became so enamored that he told his military father of his intent to become a churchman. Being the son of a tribune, his wish would be granted only after a tour of duty in the army of the empire. It is in the service of Julian that Martin truly learns of his destiny.

Late winter in the town of Amiens, Martin was approached by an almost nude beggar. Taking his sword and cutting his cloak in half, Martin gave part of his clothing to the beggar. The beggar appeared that night in a dream to Martin with the voice of God. According to the dream, since he had helped the lowest element in society, he had really helped Jesus. It is interesting to note in this section the variety of the term

Life of Martin of Tours illustrates many aspects of the evolving empire. The most significant, perhaps, is the almost subordination of the emperor to the church, a commonly cited factor in the collapse of the Western Empire. The people of the day truly believed in a Christianity that, today, would get one called fanatical at the least, locked away at worst. .The overriding emphasis, however, is not a power struggle. It is a affirmation of the power that the holy man exercised over the populace.

Some common words found in the essay are:
God Martin, Emperor Maximus, Martin Tours, Life Malchus, Pictava Martin, Western Empire, Amiens Martin, God According, Martin Severus, Peter Brown's, martin tours, life martin, life martin tours, god martin,
Approximate Word count = 904
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)