The Mystery of why Valyrians never invaded Westeros.

[A Bastard Snow]

I think the same thing that happened to the Roman Empire happened to the Freehold.They got too large and dealing with all of the civil wars and political infighting made it so just maintaining the lands they had was extremely hard let alone taking new ones.

The political infighting must have been rather intense considering each faction more then likely was trying to horde as many dragons as they could so no one would be sending several of them away as it would weaken their family/faction and open them up to getting attacked.

Don't grasp for more then you can hold.

[Game Of Thrones]

Why did Rome never invade Ireland? Same thing.

[A Bastard Snow]

Taking an area requires you to establish bases/outposts ensure a supply line and maintaining a large garrison in the region to maintain order.All of that costs money/men and materials that could be better used on improving the infrastructure of the lands already under your control (roads/bridges/ports/towns/farms)

[Free Northman Reborn]

I'm surprised that there are not more stories from Westeros before the Conquest, about Dragonlords at least visiting the Seven Kingdoms on dragonback.

Its as if Valyria didn't even exist from a Westerosi point of view during all this time, other than the odd Valyrian blade that was purchased in the Free Cities.

[The Dragons Hand]

The ancestral blades of most houses are Valyrian steel, so they knew off the Westerosi.

Maybe it was just more profitable to not have to deal with feeding people in a land where winter lasts ten years.

[smashedhalo]

Use the Rome parallel. Rome had a preemptive attack policy i.e. we need to attack these peoples because they pose a threat to the Nation. They would send out people to establish trade with neighboring nations. If their traders were expelled it was considered a affront to the "peaceful" traders and thus a cause for war. If another nation could interfere with the bottom line like Carthage (or the Giscari Empire) they went to war.

Now in westros you have people that want your goods. Your swords are legendary weapons and your goods from your empire are prized so why subjugate your paying customers?

You could also have wild, untamed dragons in the area. Griffins may be living beasts so air power may be contested. Then you have the CoTF. Able to call down powers, see the hammer that broke the arm of dorne, that put your portable flame throwers to shame. The Andels may have hunted the wargs, green seers, and CoTF but a common enemy allows for a alliance of need.

Aegon got the faith to bless his conquest

[Universal Sword Donor]

Why did Rome never invade Ireland? Same thing.

They didn't have potatoes yet?

[James Arryn]

I think the same thing that happened to the Roman Empire...

'preemptive defence' has basically fuelled every imperial power in history. I mean, look at the current discussion re: China, where a projectable position of similar economic or military power to the U.S. Is characterized as an existential threat to the U.S.

Basically anything that threatens the superpower's ability to do what it wants where it wants is seen as a threat to the superpower itself.

[Wmarshal]

Likely because they weren't really invaders, they appeared to remain stuck on Valyria, it was the colonist who sought to venture out from their home. They lacked dragon power and likely saw little fruit in heading to Westeros. when they held mastery of Essos.

[Black Dragons]

Hi there Aenar Targaryen had a daughter who had a dream about the doom he believe her and took everything with him, but the lands he sold them. But it was 12 years before the doom not hundreds years, it was hundreds years when Aegon I Targaryen Conquest of War happen. Also two other families went with him House Velaryon and House Celtigar.

[Stannis's Lawyer]

Interesting question. Let's think about it.

We know from TWOIAF that the gold of Casterly Rock is known even in Asshai. The Valyrians were obsessed with gold, and wasted hundreds of thousands of slaves while trying to get gold. So "Valyria did not attack Westeros because there was nothing valuable" is not true. Surely they would have wanted the Westerlands and it's riches, at least.

"Valyria was too big" is not true, either. The later Targaryens and Robert ruled over the Seven Kingdoms, which is almost as large as Valyria, without dragons. Since Valyrians had at least 300 dragons, they could have easily conquered and ruled Westeros.

"Westeros is across the sea so it is harder to rule" is not true. We know that Ghiscar had a presence in Sothoryos, and the Summer Sea is wider than the Narrow Sea. And the Ghiscari didn't even have dragons.

Therefore, IMO the only possible reason for the Valyrians avoiding Westeros is that they feared skinchangers.

[Pox Americana]

The Valyrians were decentralized, and apparently not that interested in expansion. They did not have an empire, or even a kingdom-- their system resembled a headless clan system like early Israel. It's one thing to rally the families together to exploit the people around you or crush tangible threats like the Ghiscari and the Rhoynar. It's another thing, a logistical nightmare even, to launch an invasion of another continent.

[Stannis's Lawyer]

The Valyrians were decentralized, and apparently not that interested in expansion. They did not have an empire, or even a kingdom-- their system resembled a headless clan system like early Israel. It's one thing to rally the families together to exploit the people around you or crush tangible threats like the Ghiscari and the Rhoynar. It's another thing, a logistical nightmare even, to launch an invasion of another continent.

Their system (all landowners can vote) resembled Volantis. Volantis had no problems launching invasions, and the Volantenes had no dragons. They were also clearly imperialistic, as seen by their wars with Qarth.

[Chalais]

Valyria wasn't as interested in Westeros as it was in it's home continent of Essos because it's economy was based on slavery. the invasions of Ghiscar and Rhoyne was primarily to take slaves, not necessarily to gain new lands. Essos has more people because it's based along the equator and thus has longer warm periods and can grow more food, Westeros is more northern, colder, the seasons unstable, and most critically has fewer people.

From a Valyrian perspective Westeros has little to offer, so what little trade they have can be conducted from a single outpost.

Now after the Doom and Valyria the Targaryens would have been the last surviving house, they had seven dragons but they were noted to have died of old age in a century so it makes sense that the Targs didn't instantly launch a wave of invasions, their weapons were simply too old to use.

After that it would have taken time to raise the new hatchlings and train them up, but for some reason when Volantis asked Aegon to help them rebuild the Valyrian Freehold he refused and instead helped the other Free Cities fight them off.

That might make sense if Aegon believed that Valyria shouldn't be rebuilt because of some sort of divine judgment, which if the Doom involved FOURTEEN volcanos going off at once it would look like the Gods unleashing their wrath due to some sort of sin.

So Aegon decided to build something new, in Westeros.

[Stannis's Lawyer]

Valyria wasn't as interested in Westeros as it was in it's home continent of Essos because it's economy was based on slavery. the invasions of Ghiscar and Rhoyne was primarily to take slaves, not necessarily to gain new lands. Essos has more people because it's based along the equator and thus has longer warm periods and can grow more food, Westeros is more northern, colder, the seasons unstable, and most critically has fewer people.

So? The South is roughly parallel with Essos, the seasons are also unstable in Essos, and there are tens of millions of people in Westeros who can easily be enslaved.

From a Valyrian perspective Westeros has little to offer, so what little trade they have can be conducted from a single outpost.

Westeros has gold mines known even in Asshai. Valyrians were obsessed with gold.

A fear of Westerosi magic is the only answer, really.

[A Bastard Snow]

Valyria wasn't as interested in Westeros as it was in it's home continent of Essos because it's economy was based on slavery. the invasions of Ghiscar and Rhoyne was primarily to take slaves, not necessarily to gain new lands. Essos has more people because it's based along the equator and thus has longer warm periods and can grow more food, Westeros is more northern, colder, the seasons unstable, and most critically has fewer people.

From a Valyrian perspective Westeros has little to offer, so what little trade they have can be conducted from a single outpost.

Now after the Doom and Valyria the Targaryens would have been the last surviving house, they had seven dragons but they were noted to have died of old age in a century so it makes sense that the Targs didn't instantly launch a wave of invasions, their weapons were simply too old to use.

After that it would have taken time to raise the new hatchlings and train them up, but for some reason when Volantis asked Aegon to help them rebuild the Valyrian Freehold he refused and instead helped the other Free Cities fight them off.

That might make sense if Aegon believed that Valyria shouldn't be rebuilt because of some sort of divine judgment, which if the Doom involved FOURTEEN volcanos going off at once it would look like the Gods unleashing their wrath due to some sort of sin.

So Aegon decided to build something new, in Westeros.

Yea I dont understand how people say the skinchangers/children were the reason they did not invade when IIRC the FM are heavily implied to have caused the Doom.

Also I highly doubt they would even think that anyone could be a threat to their dragons.When you have a fire breathing death machine you are more then likely going to be a little arrogant.

[Wmarshal]

Yea I dont understand how people say the skinchangers/children were the reason they did not invade when IIRC the FM are heavily implied to have caused the Doom.

Also I highly doubt they would even think that anyone could be a threat to their dragons.When you have a fire breathing death machine you are more then likely going to be a little arrogant.

Didn't they wipe out legions of water wizards? Yeah them being afraid of a deep underground orders when they have super powered thousands of dragons make sense.

[Aryss]

Very simple, GRRMs book wouldn't work if they had

[kimim]

What would Westeros offer them that Essos doesn't? There is wealth on Westeros, but it sounds like whatever Westeros has, Essos has more of. Also, conquest would force them to take armies across the sea, supply those armies, etc. Sea crossings are dangerous, and Valyrian ships would be as likely to sink as any other.

[JaimetheConciliator]

Martin wants it to be a surprise that Valyrians are the real enemy to the Others, so he omits all of the history between them. He also wants you to think of Others as only having influence in the LoAW, which they are not really confined to. The coming twist is fairly obvious.