Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra lived from 1547 until 1616 in a period that spanned the climax and decline of Spain's golden age. All his life he shared the ideals of an idealistic national purpose that led to Spain's glory and downfall at a time when the nation was the Catholic bulwark against a reformation-torn Europe and against the ravishing advances of the aggressive Turkish power.
Imbued with heroic exploits, Spain was proud of its epic heroes, Cortez and Pizarro, who subdued entire populations in the New World and released a stream of gold that supported the military might of Charles V and Phillip II. Despite the rich American source of treasure, the defense of Spain exhausted the resources of its peasants and of its colonies until, at the defeat of the Armada, the country was too impoverished to recover. With the decline of Spanish power, England and the reformation countries of Europe began their ascendancy.
Born into penurious circumstances, Miguel Cervantes was the fourth son in a family of seven children. His father, Rodrigo, was a surgeon, one of the salaried employees of the university of Alcala de Henares, the birthplace of Miguel, and he earned very little to feed his family. Little is known of Cervantes' early life, but it is doubtful if he received much formal education.
