Difference between revisions of "Aegon I Targaryen"
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− | [[File:Aegon And His Sisters by Amok..png | + | [[File:Aegon And His Sisters by Amok..png|thumb|right|350px|King Aegon I with his sister Queens - By Amok ©]] |
Eventually Aegon decided to go west to [[Westeros]], and for years he planned his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. He made a huge table map of Westeros painted without any borders to signify that it should be one realm alone instead of many. This map later became known as The Painted Table. <!--(III: 412)--> His plan was ambitious but eventually successful. | Eventually Aegon decided to go west to [[Westeros]], and for years he planned his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. He made a huge table map of Westeros painted without any borders to signify that it should be one realm alone instead of many. This map later became known as The Painted Table. <!--(III: 412)--> His plan was ambitious but eventually successful. | ||
Revision as of 23:14, 2 December 2014
Aegon I | |
---|---|
Aegon Targaryen by Amok© | |
Monarch | |
Reign | 1 AC – 37 AC |
Coronation | 1 AC |
Full name | Aegon Targaryen First of His Name |
Titles |
|
Predecessor | none |
Heir | Aenys Targaryen |
Successor | Aenys I Targaryen |
Personal Information | |
Aliases |
|
Born | In 27 BC[1], at Dragonstone |
Died | In 37 AC, at Dragonstone |
Family | |
Dynasty | House Targaryen |
Queens | |
Issue |
Aenys I Targaryen Maegor I Targaryen |
Father | Aerion Targaryen |
Mother | Valaena Velaryon |
References | |
Books |
|
Aegon Targaryen, the First of His Name, also known as Aegon the Conqueror and Aegon the Dragon, was the conqueror of six of the Seven Kingdoms and the founder of the ruling Targaryen dynasty of Westeros.
Contents
Appearance and Character
- See also: Images of Aegon I Targaryen
Aegon was tall, broad shouldered and powerful in appearance, with purple eyes and short-cut silver-gold hair. He was very charismatic and commanding. During the Conquest he typically wore a shirt of black scales into battle and wielded his Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre. His crown was a simple circlet of Valyrian steel, set with big square-cut rubies. [2]
Aegon was seen as an enigma. He was a solitary person whose only friend was Orys Baratheon. He was a great warrior who wielded a sword called Blackfyre but only rode his dragon for battle or travel and never entered tourneys. He remained faithful to his sisters and left governance in their hands and only took command when necessary. While he was harsh with those who defied him, he was generous to those that bent the knee.[3]
Aegon was nearly as mysterious to his era as he is to the current era.[4]
Biography
Early life
Aegon was from the island of Dragonstone, the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold, which his family had settled over a century before the Doom of Valyria. According to Targaryen tradition, Aegon married within the family; however, instead of just one sister, he married both of them: his elder sister, Visenya, and his younger sister, Rhaenys. All three were dragon-riders before they were wed.
According to semi-canon sources, when Aegon was quite young Volantis inquired whether he and his dragons would join them in the east in a grand alliance against the other Free Cities, remnants of the Valyrian Freehold. He rejected the offer.[5] When Volantis invaded Tyrosh Aegon came upon his dragon Balerion the Black Dread joining the Storm King and Pentos on the side of Tyrosh instead. After the defeat of Volantis, Aegon returned to Dragonstone.
The Conquest
Eventually Aegon decided to go west to Westeros, and for years he planned his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. He made a huge table map of Westeros painted without any borders to signify that it should be one realm alone instead of many. This map later became known as The Painted Table. His plan was ambitious but eventually successful.
When he was ready, he and his two sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya, landed with his army on the east coast of Westeros at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush. With the aid of their three dragons (Vhagar, Meraxes, and Balerion the Black Dread) Aegon led the Targaryen army to victory after victory, conquering or subjugating six of the seven kingdoms of the Westeros continent and establishing the Riverlands as a separate region. He failed to conquer Dorne, however, and eventually was forced to respect their autonomy.
During the invasion Aegon converted to the Faith of the Seven as a political maneuver [6]. Through the conversion he won the Faith's support, and dated the beginning of his reign from the day the High Septon anointed him in Oldtown.[7]
Later life
Aegon felt Dorne was the Targaryens only defeat so in 4 AC he launched another invasion hoping to complete the conquest. The war resulted in the death of Rhaenys Targaryen when a lucky shot from a scorpion took her dragon Meraxes in the eye, the dragon crashed from the sky dead taking her rider with her. Aegons wroth after Rhaeny's death knew no bonds.
Aegon and Visenya placed bounties on the heads of Dornish Lords and in turn the Dornish put bounties on the price of the Targaryens. Aegon and Visenya were even assualted on the streets of King's Landing this led to the forming of the elite royal bodyguard known as the Kingsguard in 10 AC. Visenya personally chose the men herself. The attempted conquest of Dorne was called to an end in 13 AC.
Aegon spent the rest of his reign consolidating his power and building his capital at King's Landing. During his rule he tread carefully with the Faith of the Seven, so they would not oppose him. [8] Aegon built a grand sept on Visenya's Hill and agreed to the construction of an even grander one known as the Sept of Remembrance on Rhaenys's Hill. [9] He created the office of Hand of the King and [10] Orys Baratheon was made the first Hand.[11]
After the War of Conquest, Aegon had already began construction of Aegonfort built as his seat to rule. However, soon Aegon found that Aegonfort was not suitable for a king, and it was torn to the ground in 35 AC. Aegon moved his family and court back to Dragonstone, while he commanded the construction of what would later be called the Red Keep. The city of King's Landing slowly formed around Aegon's High Hill, where the Red Keep was being created. Aegon, after the Conquest, had taken the swords of his defeated enemies, forging them into the Iron Throne. During Aegon's time living at Dragonstone after the Conquest, however, the Iron Throne remained at the build site, since it was too heavy to be moved.
The city lacked walls as Aegon felt no one would assault a city protected by dragons but realizing that he and his sister might not be here the whole time ordered massive walls to be made to surround the city and in 26 AC construction of the city and it's gates were complete.
Aegon died thirty seven years after ending his Conquest. Upon his death and the ascension of his sons Aenys and then Maegor several rebellions broke through out the Seven Kingdoms that eventually evolved into the Faith Militant uprising, war, death and chaos gripped the seven kingdoms that did not end until the reign of Aegons grandson Jaehaerys I.
Quotes by Aegon
A king should never sit easy.[13]
– Aegon, to Harren Hoare
Quotes about Aegon
Aegon the Conqueror brought fire and blood to Westeros, but afterward he gave them peace, prosperity, and justice.[15]
Aegon once stood here as I do, looking down on this table. Do you think we would name him Aegon the Conqueror today if he had not had dragons?[16]
– Stannis Baratheon, to Davos Seaworth
Family
References and Notes
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire.
- ↑ So Spake Martin: Targaryen Kings, (November 1, 2005).
- ↑ Reading from the world of Ice and Fire. Notes from George R.R. Martin's reading and Q&A at the Bubonicon 44 in Albuquerque by Trebla.
- ↑ Chicon 7 Reading (September 02, 2012) So Spake Martin
- ↑ So Spake Martin: LA Con IV, (Anaheim, CA; August 23-27) report.
- ↑ The Citadel. "Asshai.com Forum Chat" (July 27, 2008) So Spake Martin
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 28, Cersei VI.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 33, Jaime V.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Aegon I.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire.
- ↑ Bubonicon Report, August 25, 2012 So Spake Martin
- ↑ Chicon 7 Reading (September 02, 2012) So Spake Martin
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 43, Eddard XI, p 462.
- ↑ Chicon 7 Reading (September 02, 2012) So Spake Martin
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 71, Daenerys VI.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 54, Davos V, p 601.
External Links