Aegon's Conquest
Fire and blood: Aegon I's conquest that built the Targaryen dynasty.
In the section "Aegon's Conquest" of Fire & Blood — George R. R. Martin's text, Doug Wheatley's illustrations — Archmaester Gyldayn walks through Aegon I Targaryen's seizure of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. But you can tell it's a living, argumentative document: Gyldayn cites conflicting fictional primary sources, deliberately mirroring medieval historiography, so half the page is one scribe contradicting another. The passage first showed up, in roughly this same shape, in The World of Ice & Fire. What sets it apart from the main novels is the unreliable-narrator angle — accounts clash, details shift, and Gyldayn openly hedges. It's nearly three centuries of House Targaryen rule traced back to one invasion, told by a man who clearly found the sources maddening.
- Leader
- Aegon I Targaryen
- Key Allies
- Visenya and Rhaenys Targaryen
- Primary Weapons
- Three Great Dragons
- Result
- Unification of Six Kingdoms
- New Capital
- King's Landing
- Dynasty Founded
- House Targaryen
Lore & Background
The section "Reign of the Dragon – The Wars of King Aegon I" and "Three Heads Had the Dragon – Governance Under King Aegon I" follow Aegon I's reign after his Conquest. These chapters have never been published before in any other form, unlike the version in The World of Ice & Fire which briefly glossed over this period. The narrative details how Aegon unified the realm, though Dorne remained independent during his time. The text relies on a variety of fictional primary sources whose accounts conflict with each other, making Gyldayn an unreliable narrator from the reader's perspective. This approach mirrors medieval methods of historiography found within the world of A Song of Ice and Fire.
In Their Own Story
The account presents the history not as a single linear story but as a collection of conflicting records cited by Archmaester Gyldayn. He describes the events where Aegon I conquered the Seven Kingdoms, drawing from sources that sometimes contradict one another. The text highlights the governance and wars under King Aegon I, details previously unreleased in full chapters. It captures the moment the Targaryen dynasty began its rule over Westeros, a period lasting nearly three centuries before the events of the main series.
Reader's Guide
Readers should approach "Aegon's Conquest" as part of Fire & Blood, which covers history from Aegon's Conquest up to the regency of King Aegon III. The text is structured as a scholarly treatise rather than a traditional novel. It includes over seventy-five black and white illustrations by Doug Wheatley. For those seeking the specific narrative of the conquest itself, note that "Aegon's Conquest" in Fire & Blood is more or less the same version found in The World of Ice & Fire. However, the subsequent chapters on Aegon I's reign are entirely new material not previously published.
Did You Know?
- The chapters "Reign of the Dragon" and "Three Heads Had the Dragon" were published for the first time in Fire & Blood.
- Archmaester Gyldayn is an unreliable narrator whose cited sources sometimes conflict with each other.
- Fire & Blood contains more than seventy-five black and white illustrations by Doug Wheatley.
- The version of "Aegon's Conquest" in Fire & Blood is more or less the same as the one in The World of Ice & Fire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who led Aegon's Conquest?
The invasion was commanded by Aegon I Targaryen, who was supported by his two sisters and wives, Visenya and Rhaenys. Together, they utilized their three dragons to overwhelm the existing armies of Westeros.
What were the primary weapons used during the conquest?
The Targaryens relied on the sheer destructive power of three great dragons: Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes. These beasts allowed Aegon to burn enemy forces from the sky and force submission where swords failed.
Which kingdoms were unified under this campaign?
The conquest successfully united six of Westeros's seven major regions into a single realm known as the Seven Kingdoms. Only Dorne refused to submit at that time, remaining an independent principality for generations afterward.
What happened to the old ruling houses like House Hoare and House Gardener?
Powerful dynasties such as the Ironborn Hoares and Reach-based Gardeners were annihilated by dragonfire during key battles. Their fall cleared the path for Aegon to establish his own dynasty across the continent.
Why is this event considered a turning point in Westerosi history?
Aegon's Conquest ended centuries of fragmentation among the warring lords and established the Targaryen rule that lasted nearly three hundred years. It also led to the founding of King's Landing as the new capital city on the ruins of the old.
More in Lore & History
Related in A Song of Ice and Fire
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