Varys and Illyrio ages

[Lucia Targaryen]

Is it ever stated how old Varys and Illyrio are? I'm guessing 40s-50s. 

[Lord Varys]

Nope, but chances are indeed that they are late 40s, early 50s. They are not described as visibly old people.

Around 40 would be too young for Varys in my opinion since that would mean Aerys II hired him as Master of Whisperers when he was around 20. That feels too young for my taste, so I'd go with Varys being at least 25 when he started his career in KL.

Illyrio would be about the same age as Varys.

[Lollygag]

Illyrio complains about being old to Tyrion, but as he's never described as acting old despite his weight, it seems more like complaining about not being young anymore so my impression has been the same as others: 40s - 50s.

Can't help myself: Gerion Lannister was born in 255 which would make him 45 years old in 300 AC.

[Megorova]

I think that Varys was born in 260, while Illyrio is several years older.

My guess is that Varys' mother was Jenny of Oldstones, while his father is one of this three - prince Duncan Targaryen, Daemon the Unnumbered Blackfyre, or his cousin Maelys the Monstrous. If the father is Duncan or Daemon, then Varys was born either in 259 or in 260. If the father is Maelys, then Varys was born in 260 or 261.

I think that the Ghost of High Heart is Rohanne Webber-Lannister, the Red Widow, and that Jenny of Oldstones was Rohanne's daughter. Thus Varys is the Spider because his maternal grandmother also was a "spider" (spider is a family sigil of House Webber). Possibly Jenny was kidnapped by Blackfyres from burning Summerhall. Based on what was said in The Sworn Sword, it's more than likely that Rohanne was a user of blood magic and a woodswitch. So thru blood her daughter also had magic potential, and this could be the reason why Blackfyres kidnapped her - to mix her blood with dragonseed blood of Blackfyres, and to get a child that will have prophetic abilies, that Blackfyres will be able to use to win against Targaryens. Probably Rohanne placed Jenny on Duncan's path with the same intentions - to mix her daughter's blood with dragonseed blood of Targaryens. She used magic on Duncan to make him madly fall in love with Jenny. He even abdicated Targaryen crown because of her.

If my guess about Varys' origin is correct, then in 300 he is 39-40 years old (for example, Ned Stark was 35 when he died, Robert Baratheon was only 36 at the time of his death). He arrived to 7K and became Aerys' servant in 278, after Steffon Baratheon's death. At that time Varys was no older than 18. Though look at Jon - he is barely 16, and he's a Lord Commander of Night's Watch. Aemon Targaryen fully forged his maester's chain when he was 19. Jaime Lannister became a Kingsguard when he was 15. Robert Baratheon was 16 when he became the Lord of Stormlands, 20 when he rebelled against Targaryens, and 21 when he became the King. Daemon Blackfyre was knighted when he was 12, and he got knighted because of his accomplishments, same with Barristan Selmy who was knighted aged 16. Look at Arya and everything she did, and she's only 10 years old (later in 300 will turn 11). So it's not unlikley that by the age 18 Varys already created his spy-network in Essos, got Pentos under his control, and made for himself a reputation that drawn to him King Aerys' interest, and made him hire Varys as his Master of Whisperers.

Events of ASOIAF are happening in Medieval setting. At that time people mostly got married aged 15-16, by 20 had several children and by 40-50 died from old age.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy#Variation_over_time

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/241864.stm

"The average life expectancy for a male child born in the UK between 1276 and 1300 was 31.3 years. In 1998, it is 76.

However, by the time the 13th-Century boy had reached 20 he could hope to live to 45, and if he made it to 30 he had a good chance of making it into his fifties."

King Aenys I died aged 35, Aegon III died aged 37, his brother Viserys died aged 50, his son Aegon IV died when he was 49. There's not that many characters in ASOIAF who are over 50 years old. Old Nan (100+ years old), Bloodraven, Shiera Seastar, Shella Whent, Hoster Tully (died aged 61), Walder Frey (92), Jon Arryn (died aged 80), Barristan Selmy and Tattered Prince (in their early 60s), Olenna Tyrell (72), Stannis is 36, Littlefinger is 29 or 30. People there mature faster and die earlier. By 16 they are adults and by 50 majority of them are already dead. So, Varys and Illyrio are definitely not in their 50s. Varys is 40, and Illyrio is no older than 45.