As a writer, John Dryden is noted for his versatility and success in a variety of textual mediums (poetry, prose, plays). Dryden's translations of Homer, Lucretius, Horace, Ovid, Juvenal, Persius, Giovanni Boccaccio, Geoffrey Chaucer, and, most famously, Virgil were also immensely influential. As a critic, he is known for his sharp judgments and wide knowledge of literature. Dryden was born on March 23, 1572 in London. His father was a wealthy merchant who had recently returned from working in the Spanish Empire, so the family was well off. He was educated at Cambridge University, where he studied classical literature, and then at Oxford, where he became a fellow of Corpus Christi College in 1595. He soon gained recognition as a poet and orator, and in 1631 was appointed secretary to Charles I. During this time, he wrote many poems criticizing King Charles and defending the parliamentary cause. In 1648, after the execution of Charles I, he withdrew from public life and lived in relative poverty until his death in 1667. In addition to being a talented poet and orator himself, John Dryden is regarded as one of the leading poets of the English language. He is best known for his translations of Latin and Greek poets, but he also wrote several original poems. One of his earliest works, "Absalom and Achitophel", was written when he was just twenty-one years old.