Do we know why Aegon the Conqueror decided to invade Westeros?

[Rose of Winterfell]

It would be in the Targaryen family's interest not to reveal if they were using spells or magic horns to control their dragons, as that would diminish their otherworldly quality and reputation.

I agree. I need to go back to the books and verifiy this, but I'm almost certain Dany says at one point when she's first training her dragons that the dragonriders of old had used horns and/or binding magic to control their dragons (which I took to mean her ancestors). Does that sound familiar to anyone else?

[Lord Varys]

She refers to the dragonlords of old Valyria, not to Aegon I - Aegon III.

[Rose of Winterfell]

Oh, so maybe the targaryens were the first NOT to use horns? oops

[mrazny]

I've wondered if the dragons on Valyria were controlled by an ability something like warging, which for whatever reason the Targaryens can't do, and they therefore had to resort to the magical horns to control their dragons-it seems to me that enslaving or binding a dragon with a horn would limit its power/growth more than the size of their enclosures or whatever.

I mean is there any proof that this is what causes their decline? The maesters say so, and the people who have studied dragons in westeros-but the ONLY dragons they've had access to are the targ ones-its entirely possible that the dragons on valyria were controlled by a different means, maybe the targaryens came to westeros because of some prophetic hint about then being able to join with a warging bloodline and thus have total control over the dragons (why it then took 400 years for this to happen is beyond me--maybe for some reason knowledge of their purpose was lost and Rhaegar was the one who put two and two together, or they began to fear losing control over their dragons to the superwarg Starks)

On a (sort of) related note-is there any mention of a Stark/Targaryen marriage or union prior to Rhaegar and Lyanna?

I'm sorry I'm ressurecting a dead thread...

Although there are other examples of unknown wives thus far in the Targaryen bloodline, it's interesting that We know nothing of Aegon V's wife, only a very important sounding blurb from Barristan about how he married for love, his sons marrying for love causing strife, and then Aegon being the one behind Aerys marrying Rhaella.

Now combine that with the upcoming Dunk & Egg novella about She-wolves of Winterfell...

[Saffron]

I don't know if someone's mentioned this yet, but I just reread AFfC and found this in Samwell 1 I think it is, page 108 of the paperback edition:

... Maester Thomax's Dragonkin, Being a History of House Targaryen from Exile to Apotheosis, with a Consideration of the Life and Death of Dragons

had not been so fortunate. It had come open as it fell, and a few pages had gotten muddy, including one with a rather nice picture of Balerion the Black Dread done in colored inks.

This seems to indicate that the Targaryens were exiled from Valyria, since the "apotheosis" is probably referring to the time period after Aegon's conquest of Westeros, when the Targaryens were essentially deified. Perhaps they were exiled for spreading word of the ancestor's daughter's prophecies regarding the Doom? It would seem like the higher powers of the Valyrian Freehold would not like having such prophecies spread around. So the Targaryens were shipped off to Dragonstone, the farthest outpost of Valyria, where they could spread no tales and do no harm. It seems plausible, anyway.

However, the question that I'm really curious about is why the Valyrians never got any further than Dragonstone in conquering Westeros, especially since it was so easy for Aegon. The first Targaryens probably didn't do anything about it since, if they were exiles, they probably didn't have any dragons/wealth/power to speak of. The Valyrians might have been wary of the Others, but they seem to not have known about them (maybe?). Regardless of if they knew about them, in the same chapter quoted about, Sam tell Jon that dragonsteel, presumed to be Valyrian steel, is fatal to the Others. So it seems like that would not have been an obstacle to Valyria in conquering Westeros. Perhaps they simply weren't interested.

[Unholly Septon]

I don't know if someone's mentioned this yet, but I just reread AFfC and found this in Samwell 1 I think it is, page 108 of the paperback edition:

This seems to indicate that the Targaryens were exiled from Valyria, since the "apotheosis" is probably referring to the time period after Aegon's conquest of Westeros, when the Targaryens were essentially deified. Perhaps they were exiled for spreading word of the ancestor's daughter's prophecies regarding the Doom? It would seem like the higher powers of the Valyrian Freehold would not like having such prophecies spread around. So the Targaryens were shipped off to Dragonstone, the farthest outpost of Valyria, where they could spread no tales and do no harm. It seems plausible, anyway.

However, the question that I'm really curious about is why the Valyrians never got any further than Dragonstone in conquering Westeros, especially since it was so easy for Aegon. The first Targaryens probably didn't do anything about it since, if they were exiles, they probably didn't have any dragons/wealth/power to speak of. The Valyrians might have been wary of the Others, but they seem to not have known about them (maybe?). Regardless of if they knew about them, in the same chapter quoted about, Sam tell Jon that dragonsteel, presumed to be Valyrian steel, is fatal to the Others. So it seems like that would not have been an obstacle to Valyria in conquering Westeros. Perhaps they simply weren't interested.

I believe the dragons that Valyrians found,were meant to fullfil the prophecy and beat the others,but the ignorant Valyrians used them to build an empire.So maybe the Targaryen familly moved near Westeros because they knew the wall was there and/or because they were exciled.So if Aegon knew that one of his great great........grand sons or daughters would be the Azor Ahai reborn,then he must have written it somewhere so that the chosen one would find it later.And as we know Rhaegar found something in Dragonstone which led him to let the books and become a warrior.Now if Aegon the Dragon knew the prophecy,he might have wanted to be sure that his descendants woud still be in Westeros after 300 years and what better way to guarantee that,than conquering the whole damn land?If you are king by right then you don't abandon your Kingdom so his descendants were sure to remain in West and not going to the East..

[History of Westeros]

Apparently the nobles of Volantis were never that high in the hierarchy of the Freehold of Valyria to have dragons of their own. This actually means that Targaryens apparently were a powerful valyrian family before they went to Dragonstone. But even they took no living dragons with them, only dragon eggs. Balerion, Meraxes and Vhagar were hatched on Dragonstone - at least Balerion by Aegon's grandfather or great-grandfather, since he died at the age of 200 during the reign of Jaehaerys I. Meraxes and Vhagar might have been hatched later, but at least Vhagar lived to see the Dance of Dragons.

How do we know that Aegon's predecessors brought no living dragons to Dragonstone?

[Im no Ser]

However, the question that I'm really curious about is why the Valyrians never got any further than Dragonstone in conquering Westeros, especially since it was so easy for Aegon. The first Targaryens probably didn't do anything about it since, if they were exiles, they probably didn't have any dragons/wealth/power to speak of. The Valyrians might have been wary of the Others, but they seem to not have known about them (maybe?). Regardless of if they knew about them, in the same chapter quoted about, Sam tell Jon that dragonsteel, presumed to be Valyrian steel, is fatal to the Others. So it seems like that would not have been an obstacle to Valyria in conquering Westeros. Perhaps they simply weren't interested.

I just don't buy the "they weren't interested" line. It's possible, sure, but it's too much of a coincidence for me that the empire literally ends in a pile of rocks a day's sail (or so) from the Westerosi mainland.

The alternative is that there is something innate to Westeros that is dangerous to dragons, the backbone of Valyrian military might. It could be the possibility of DragonWarging or the presence of the Others, but since neither of those things appeared to be any kind of problem at all when Aegon actually invaded I doubt that is the case.

My guess is that there is something intrinsic to the Westerosi mainland that keeps Dragons from surviving as a species. Take a look at what actually did happen after the invasion - The Targ Dragons mysteriously all died out within 150 years, withering in size with each generation until they couldn't breed at all. The Valyrians knew it - it's why their empire stops literally right offshore. Aegon knew this: Any pre-Doom invasion costs him his dragons in the long term leaving them open to later subjagation by other Valyrian families.

Post-Doom Aegon has a choice - return to Essos and try and revive the Freehold, or sacrifice his family's dragons (in the long term) as the price for a new empire (an empire that is not vulnerable to subsequent dragon attack, since they aren't any more).

My further guess is that this all ties into Westeros' role as the locus of ice magic, the antithesis of the fire magic dragons. It isn't coincidence that the Targ breed their dragons on an offshore volcanic island - it's the most hospitable environment to dragons that is available.

[TheReal_Rebel]

if you read the beginning of The Sworn Sword, a Dunk and Egg Novella, GRMM explains that Valryia was land of sorcerers which was destroyed in a single night . Aegon and his sisters arrive in Westeros as survivors along with a small army.

[Im no Ser]

if you read the beginning of The Sworn Sword, a Dunk and Egg Novella, GRMM explains that Valryia was land of sorcerers which was destroyed in a single night . Aegon and his sisters arrive in Westeros as survivors along with a small army.

Aegon and his sisters survive because they aren't in Valyria - They've already been exiled to Dragonstone, the terminus of the empire. And that's the basis of the two questions asked in this thread - why didn't the Valyrians conquer Westeros (which would have been comically easy, given that it was accomplished by a handful of exiles with little difficulty), and why did Aegon choose to go west instead of east, where he and his dragons could have filled the power void left by his extinct kin?

[Batman]

Same reason all rulers invade other lands they want to rule, greed.

Henry V wanted France and he took it

Alexander wanted the world and took most of it

Same with Genghis Khan

They invaded because they could and they wanted the spoils. There wasnt even any sport in it, he had trained Dragons, it was pretty much a forgone conclusion. Richard the Lionheart liked the sport of war, but Aegon just wanted to be king.

Cue "That's all just speculation asshole!" Reasoned speculation, based on thousands of years of greedy rulers invading nations for gain.

[Im no Ser]

Same reason all rulers invade other lands they want to rule, greed.

Henry V wanted France and he took it

Alexander wanted the world and took most of it

Same with Genghis Khan

They invaded because they could and they wanted the spoils. There wasnt even any sport in it, he had trained Dragons, it was pretty much a forgone conclusion. Richard the Lionheart liked the sport of war, but Aegon just wanted to be king.

Cue "That's all just speculation asshole!" Reasoned speculation, based on thousands of years of greedy rulers invading nations for gain.

That's the answer why he invaded *somewhere*. But why head west into territory your empire has (mysteriously) avoided for millenia, as opposed to going east to familiar territory where the death of the people that exiled you has created a massive power vacuum?

[Batman]

That's the answer why he invaded *somewhere*. But why head west into territory your empire has (mysteriously) avoided for millenia, as opposed to going east to familiar territory where the death of the people that exiled you has created a massive power vacuum?

Ego, greed, ignorance, lack of caring or foresight. He was Aegon the Conquerer not Daeron the Good, he was not known for his intelligence he was known for dragons.

[Im no Ser]

Ego, greed, ignorance, lack of caring or foresight. He was Aegon the Conquerer not Daeron the Good, he was not known for his intelligence he was known for dragons.

Ego would send him east - the exile showing up his persecutors by seizing the remains of his empire.

Greed sends him east - Essos is the more advanced, wealthier civilization.

And while I concede it is possible that the Valyrians ended their empire a day's sail from the Wetserosi mainland for no real reason, and that Aegon subsequently invaded Westeros as opposed to conquering the remnants of Valyria because he didn't really care or plan suggests a level of apathy unusual for empire builders.

I submit the evidence suggests something else was in play.

[Batman]

Ego would send him east - the exile showing up his persecutors by seizing the remains of his empire.

Greed sends him east - Essos is the more advanced, wealthier civilization.

And while I concede it is possible that the Valyrians ended their empire a day's sail from the Wetserosi mainland for no real reason, and that Aegon subsequently invaded Westeros as opposed to conquering the remnants of Valyria because he didn't really care or plan suggests a level of apathy unusual for empire builders.

I submit the evidence suggests something else was in play.

I tend to subscribe to the theory that the Valyrians stopped because they knew of the dangers that their dragons would face against skinchangers. Dragons arent much good when others can control them. The Targaryens on the other hand dont seem to know much at all, another clue Jon Snow is a Targaryen ;)

They didnt seem to have dragon horns or at least they didnt teach their heirs how to use them and they didnt seem to know how to raise healthy dragons or teach their heirs how to. They dont seem to have the intellect of knowledge of old Valyria.

Ego, to me, would send him west. He wanted to establish something that was all his own, that wasnt a continuation of any past empire, but something new that he alone built. There also may have been some caution in his move west. The doom still ruled Valyria, nobody seems to know what caused it or if it could possibly occur again.

Greed could send him either way. Essos is rich but people always seem to underestimate Westeros.

Gold from the Westerlands

Fruits from the Reach

Olives and Lemons from Dorne

Wood and furs from the Stormlands

Fish from the Riverlands

Produce from the Vale

Iron Ore from the Iron Islands

Wool and possibly silver from the North

Large amount of wealth there, not to be underestimated. People seem to base Essos being richer off of the boastings of some slaver from Essos and I dont think much stock can be put in that. Not saying you are, but I have seen that used as an argument. Thats why there is trade, East and West have different products.

[History of Westeros]

Much of this is answered via GRRM's readings from the World of Ice and Fire.

For example, Balerion was not born on Dragonstone.

[TheZone]

Three words Because he could

[CKPS63]

A related querstion may be why none of the Valyrians invaded or conquered Westeros PRIOR to Aegon. Tyrion speculates briefly on this question in one of his early POVs in ADWD, noting that the Valyrians were certainly aware of the wealth further to the west but nonthehtless stopped their pre-Aegon expansion at Dragonstone. I'm betting GRRM would not have raised this interesting question unless it had some important implications. I'd also bet that the answer is related somehow to the reasons that Aegon ultimately did decide to invade the Westerosi mainland.

[PrimeRhaegar]

i feel he just wanted to establish something on his own separate from his ancestors and father and grandfather. Even martin said the targs were content on dragon stone during the bleeding years despite the fact they lost 4 dragons during that time. Maybe one of aegon's sister whispered to him to go west and he just agreed since they had alot of influence over him as well.

[Lissa Nymeros Martell]

I wonder if the answer lies with House Hightower, the maesters, and the Tyrells. They all gained from the Targaryen invasion. Perhaps they were the first with "southron ambitions"?