King Aegon I Targaryen, popularly called Aegon the Conqueror, was the greatest legend of House Targaryen. He rose from the ashes of a fallen empire and rode to Westeros, a continent rife with war and conflict, to become King of the Seven Kingdoms. Aegon’s life was filled with many incredible achievements, and his rule sparked a new era that saw the meteoric rise of House Targaryen.
Though there is an extensive history of Aegon’s Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, many secrets about him were lost in the sands of time. We will dig up these elusive facts today. So, relax as we explore 35 mind-blowing hidden facts about Aegon I Targaryen.
Who Is Aegon the Conqueror?
1. Aegon Targaryen was Lady Valaena Velaryon and Aerion Targaryen, the Lord of Dragonstone’s only son.
2. He was born in 27 BC, about 87 years after the Doom of Valyria, which occurred in 114 BC.
A Brief Targaryen History
3. Aegon Targaryen came from a long line of dragonstone lords, starting with Aenar Targaryen, also called Aenar the Exile.
4. Aenar, the lord of House Targaryen, left the Valyrian Peninsula after his daughter Daenys the Dreamer foresaw the destruction of the Freehold.
5. Shortly after Aenar arrived at dragonstone with all his family, the Fourteen Fires of the Valyrian Freehold erupted and destroyed the Valyrian Empire. Realizing their masters were gone, the great city of Volantis started a war to take over other parts of Essos and rule in the Valyrian’s stead; this resulted in the beginning of the Century of Blood in 102 BC.
6. After Aegon’s birth and coming of age, he claimed the mightiest dragon House Targaryen owned, Balerion.
7. He took his sister, Rhaenys Targaryen, as his wife and later married his older sister, Visenya Targaryen.
8. As the Century of Blood ravaged Essos, the leaders of the great cities of Pentos and Tyrosh pleaded with the Lord of Dragonstone to help fight Volantis, and he agreed. With aid from Balerion’s fires, Volantis was defeated, and the Century of Blood gradually ended.
A New Continent Emerges
Though Aegon’s Conquest is one of the most well-known pieces of Targaryen history, many people have almost no idea of the details that led to its beginning.
9. Contrary to popular belief, Aegon Targaryen visited the cities of Lannisport and the Citadel of Old Town before he began the conquest of the Seven Kingdoms.
10. His interest in Westeros grew after his visits, and he commissioned the creation of the Painted Table, which had all seven kingdoms on the continent.
11. The Lord of Dragonstone chose not to have the borders of the seven kingdoms drawn, as he vehemently believed they should be together.
12. The main spark of the conquest came when Argilac Durrandon, the Storm King, sent a proposal to Aegon Targaryen. He wanted the Lord of Dragonstone to marry his daughter, Princess Argella, to create a mighty force with the backing of Targaryen dragons. However, the Lord of Dragonstone, already married to his sisters, rejected the proposal and offered to have his close friend and rumored bastard half-brother, Orys Baratheon, marry Argella.
13. King Argillac felt insulted by the idea, and his short temper made him cut off the hands of Aegon’s envoy.
14. When the Lord of Dragonstone received the Storm King’s message, he met with his advisers and sent out ravens to all kingdoms of Westeros, stating he was the one true King.
15. Six days later, in 2 BC, Aegon Targaryen landed at the mouth of Blackwater Rush, and the conquest of the Seven Kingdoms began.
King Aegon I Targaryen: Rains of Fire and Blood
16. Aegon’s Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms was one of the most intense battles ever fought. The Lord of Dragonstone arrived at Westeros with only a small army but the might of three dragons, Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes, ridden by his sisters.
17. After setting up Aegonfort, the Lord of Dragonstone departed for Harrenhal, the largest castle on the continent. On reaching the castle, he met Harren the Black, the King of the Isles and the Rivers, and asked him to yield and bend the knee.
18. However, Harren bragged that not even Balerion can bring down Harrenhal. Feeling insulted, Aegon said: “When the sun sets, your line all end.”
19. Harren hurriedly took his family into the castle and shut the door. However, no one was prepared for what was about to come.
20. Aegon mounted Balerion and flew so high into the sky that he and his dragon appeared as dots. Then, with immense speed, the Lord of Dragonstone returned to the Earth, and out of the mouth of his great beast came black fires from hell. Balerion’s flames were so hot it melted stone and fused sand into glass. Though the dragon’s breath didn’t destroy Harrenhal, it cooked everyone locked inside, marking the end of House Hoare.
21. After Harrenhal’s destruction, Aegon met with his sisters, who had defeated King Argillac, and marched with his army against a coalition of the King of the Reach, Mern IX Gardener, and the King of the Rock, Loren I Lannister.
22. The ensuing battle was a massive defeat for the coalition. The fires of the Targaryen dragons burned so hot that the battle was named the Field of Fire.
23. Upon seeing the carnage the Lord of Dragonstone created, Torrhen Stark, the King in the North, bent the knee.
24. With six of the Seven Kingdoms defeated, Aegon I Targaryen was crowned King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. Unknown to him, a terrible disaster was about to unfold.
The Death of A Lover
25. After his coronation, King Aegon I Targaryen chose his capital, the settlement that had begun growing around Aegonfort. The new city was named King’s Landing.
26. Aegon took the sword from his conquered enemies and melted it into the Iron Throne. He also set up a council and made his close friend, Orys Baratheon, the Hand of the King.
27. After signing the King’s Peace into law, stability gradually returned to Westeros. Relative peace came after the King shattered the Iron Islands rebellion by killing Qhorin Volmark with his Valyrian steel sword, Blackfyre, and destroying that of the Three Sisters.
However, Aegon set his sights on a new target. However, it led to a bloody war.
28. As the kingdom of Dorne hadn’t fallen, Aegon sent a delegation to the Princess of Dorne to peacefully assimilate it into the Seven Kingdoms. However, when negotiations failed, a war started.
29. The First Dornish War was filled with so many tragedies, as Aegon never expected the Dornish people to put up an incredible fight. First, his right hand, Orys Baratheon, was captured and lost his sword hand. Then, the great tragedy occurred when Queen Rhaenys Targaryen and her dragon, Meraxes, were shot from the sky by a special weapon called a scorpion.
30. Rhaenys’s death awakened a bloodlust in King Aegon, and for the next two years, he rained hell on almost every Dornish city. He and his sister, Visenya Targaryen, placed bounties on many Dornish lords, and the lords, in turn, did the same, which led to a slurry of attempted assassinations.
31. To protect her husband from attacks, Visenya proposed the creation of an elite squad of bodyguards sworn to defend the King; this led to the formation of the Kingsguard.
32. A peace treaty was eventually signed, and Dorne remained independent. With the war concluded, Aegon ordered the construction of new structures like the Red Keep and the Wall of King’s Landing.
Hidden Secrets about Aegon the Conqueror
Here are some elusive facts about King Aegon I Targaryen
33. Aegon died at sixty-three while telling his grandsons the tales of his conquest.
34. According to semi-cannon sources, Aegon was a Dragon Dreamer, meaning he could see glimpses of the future. In one of his dreams, he saw the return of darkness and creatures of ice. He named the dream The Song of Ice and Fire and predicted the coming of the Prince That Was Promised.
35. Aegon I Targaryen never rode horses. He always used Balerion for war and travel. He was also dedicated to his sisters and had them govern the kingdom.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed learning 35 facts about King Aegon I Targaryen. Don’t forget to leave us a comment and share. If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love our 50 Dragons’ Facts. You can also search our Facts Database.
