(The Rogue Prince spoilers) Kinda dissapointed with the Old King

[Panos Targaryen]

In the novella we learn some more things about Jaehaerys I Targaryen, the greatest king in the history of Westeros. However, some things we learn kind of contradict the general idea GRRM created for us about him. First of all, his epithet was "the Old King", because he had a very long reign, and was very old by the end of it. Amok's portrait of him shows him towards the end of his reign. Very old, yet still powerful and strict-looking, holding a quill. According to the wiki, he was "wise and dignified even into his later years, with a long white, flowing beard."

Then we learn that he died at the age of 69. Not young by any means, but compared to the later Maester Aemon, who was 100-something when he died, it's not old enough to give him the name "the Old King". Aegon the Conqueror died at the age of 64, only 5 years younger. Plus, I'm sure many other Targaryen kings lived until their sixties. Also, in his final years Jaehaerys is described as a broken old man, depressed by the deaths of Alysanne, Baelon and Barth, senile and bedridden, mistaking Alicent for one of his daughters. What happened to the "dignified until the end" old king? Why this sudden change in the character?

[Lord Varys]

I guess the senile and bedridden did not stretch over a long period of time, rather just the last weeks/months of his life. The death of his wife and his second son apparently was a huge blow to him, but I guess this does not really mean that he was a shell of a man from 101 AC onwards.

It does not seem that he had something like Alzheimer's, but rather an illness that deprived him of his wits while he was actually slowly dying. That's a difference.

But I don't see why he should not suffer senility in old age. We all will, when we grow old enough, one way or another. This adds a lot of realism.

[Rhaegar Targaryen II]

well he was still a man you know no matter how great he was.

[Vaxis]

Perhaps this simply plays on the idea that what we are told about someone in common phrases and popular tales is often not quite the same as what we can learn of them when reading the reliable histories.

[Bael's Bastard]

In the novella we learn some more things about Jaehaerys I Targaryen, the greatest king in the history of Westeros. However, some things we learn kind of contradict the general idea GRRM created for us about him. First of all, his epithet was "the Old King", because he had a very long reign, and was very old by the end of it. Amok's portrait of him shows him towards the end of his reign. Very old, yet still powerful and strict-looking, holding a quill. According to the wiki, he was "wise and dignified even into his later years, with a long white, flowing beard."

Then we learn that he died at the age of 69. Not young by any means, but compared to the later Maester Aemon, who was 100-something when he died, it's not old enough to give him the name "the Old King". Aegon the Conqueror died at the age of 64, only 5 years younger. Plus, I'm sure many other Targaryen kings lived until their sixties. Also, in his final years Jaehaerys is described as a broken old man, depressed by the deaths of Alysanne, Baelon and Barth, senile and bedridden, mistaking Alicent for one of his daughters. What happened to the "dignified until the end" old king? Why this sudden change in the character?

I don't see any significant contradiction, or issue really.

Aenys and Maegor both appear to have died in their thirties, having reigned during only 12 years between them (37-48).

Jaehaerys died at 69 years of age, having become king as a teenager and ruled during 56 years (48-103).

Jaehaerys was not only older than Aegon when he died, but he ruled almost two decades longer than Aegon did.

I also doubt he had issues for long years before his death, even if it got really bad at the very end.

[King Aegon The Conqueror]

In the novella we learn some more things about Jaehaerys I Targaryen, the greatest king in the history of Westeros. However, some things we learn kind of contradict the general idea GRRM created for us about him. First of all, his epithet was "the Old King", because he had a very long reign, and was very old by the end of it. Amok's portrait of him shows him towards the end of his reign. Very old, yet still powerful and strict-looking, holding a quill. According to the wiki, he was "wise and dignified even into his later years, with a long white, flowing beard."

Then we learn that he died at the age of 69. Not young by any means, but compared to the later Maester Aemon, who was 100-something when he died, it's not old enough to give him the name "the Old King". Aegon the Conqueror died at the age of 64, only 5 years younger. Plus, I'm sure many other Targaryen kings lived until their sixties. Also, in his final years Jaehaerys is described as a broken old man, depressed by the deaths of Alysanne, Baelon and Barth, senile and bedridden, mistaking Alicent for one of his daughters. What happened to the "dignified until the end" old king? Why this sudden change in the character?

I would argue that I was the greatest king in the history of Westeros but that argument would lead no-where -_-

[Guard of the Rainking]

I think he was called the Old King because he ruled for so long. Kinda like: Commoner 1: Who is ruling Westeros nowadays? Commoner 2: The same old king.

[Moondancer]

So... He's not 96? :D Good to know!

[Bael's Bastard]

So... He's not 96? :D Good to know!

Not unless he was his father's brother. :D

[Rhaegar Targaryen II]

I would argue that I was the greatest king in the history of Westeros but that argument would lead no-where -_-

but you were your grace even valaar targaryen compared his Great Father baelor to only you to match his greatness.