Difference between revisions of "Battle Beneath the Gods Eye"

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[[Category:House Paege battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Paege battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Parren battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Parren battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Peake battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Piper battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Piper battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Roote battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Roote battles|Gods Eye]]]
[[Category:House Rowan battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Tarbeck battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Tarbeck battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Targaryen battles|Gods Eye]]
[[Category:House Targaryen battles|Gods Eye]]

Revision as of 20:40, 30 December 2018

Battle Beneath the Gods Eye
Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg
Maegor I Targaryen and Balerion make short work of Aegon the Uncrowned and Quicksilver during the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye, as depicted by Michael Komarck in The World of Ice & Fire.
Date 43 AC[1]
Place Gods Eye, the riverlands[1]
Result Prince Aegon is slain[1]
King Maegor I Targaryen Prince Aegon Targaryen
King Maegor I Targaryen[1] Prince Aegon Targaryen[1]
5,000 men from King's Landing
unknown numbers from the Reach and riverlands
15,000 men from the westerlands and riverlands
Ser Davos Darklyn
Aegon Targaryen
Lord Alyn Tarbeck
Lord Jon Piper
Lord Ronnel Vance
Ser Willam Whistler
Denys Snow

The Battle Beneath the Gods Eye took place near the Gods Eye in the latter part of 43 AC, a fight for the Iron Throne between King Maegor I Targaryen and his nephew Aegon the Uncrowned, the Prince of Dragonstone.[1]


King Maegor I Targaryen, the half-brother of the late King Aenys I Targaryen, claimed the Iron Throne in 42 AC. At the time Aenys's eldest son, Prince Aegon Targaryen, was besieged at Crakehall Castle by thousands of Poor Fellows, leaving Aegon unable to act. After Maegor had won his trial of seven against the Warrior's Sons at King's Landing, Aegon's mother, Dowager Queen Alyssa Velaryon, proclaimed Aegon king on Driftmark, to no avail. When the Poor Fellows besieging Crakehall finally marched to King's Landing, Prince Aegon and his sister-wife, Princess Rhaena, were able to depart. They fled to Casterly Rock, where they were given protected by Lord Lyman Lannister. Lady Jocasta, Lyman's wife, discerned that Rhaena was with child. The princess gave birth to her twin daughters, Aerea and Rhaella, that year.[2]

Aegon remained adamant about his claim to the throne, but was unable to find many lords who were willing to risk Maegor's wroth by supporting Aegon's claim. Not even Lord Lannister was willing to give his support to Aegon, although he did refuse Maegor's demands that Aegon and Rhaena be expelled from Casterly Rock. Additionally, it was said that Aegon's own mother had abandoned his cause, as she had been present at King's Landing for King Maegor's third marriage.[2] Many of the young nobles that had accompanied Aegon and Rhaena on their progress abandoned them to bend the knee to Maegor, the prince gaining the name "Aegon the Uncrowned". However, Lord Jon Piper and his sister Melony, a former favorite of Rhaena, arrived at Lannisport with their brothers to swear the loyalty of House Piper.[1]

While Maegor was at Oldtown, Aegon and Rhaena used their uncle's absence at King's Landing to covertly enter the capital, aided by members of Maegor's court that had grown weary of the king's cruelty. In the city, Rhaena retrieved her dragon Dreamfyre, while Aegon claimed his father's dragon, Quicksilver.[1] The prince returned to the westerlands on dragonback to gather an army, though Lord Lyman was still reluctant to offer his full support. Instead, Aegon and Rhaena gathered their support at Pinkmaiden Castle, seat of House Piper.[1] Eventually, Aegon gained support from lords from the westerlands and riverlands, including Lords Tarbeck, Piper, Roote, Vance, Frey, Paege, Parren, Farman, and Westerling. Additionally, Lord Corbray, Denys Snow, and the fourth son of Lord Connington joined Aegon's side.[2] An additional five hundred men came from Lannisport, led by Ser Tyler Hill, Lyman's bastard son.[1]

Though Aegon's ranks included seasoned commanders and noble knights, no great houses came to his side. When Aegon eventually marched in 43 AC, King Maegor was informed by his mistress of whisperers, Tyanna of the Tower, that Dowager Queen Alyssa Velaryon had been in secret correspondence with the Starks, Arryns, Lannisters, and Baratheons. However, the great lords wished to be certain of Aegon's ability to win before they pledged their support.[2]


In 43 AC, Aegon asserted his claim to the throne and denounced King Maegor I Targaryen as a tyrant and usurper.[2][3] He marched through the riverlands leading an army of fifteen thousand strong from atop his dragon Quicksilver.[2] Lord Lucas Harroway and Lord Prentys Tully supported Maegor with their levies, however,[2][4] and Ser Davos Darklyn of the Kingsguard marched from King's Landing with five thousand men.[2] From the Reach came Lords Peake, Merryweather, and Caswell and their levies.[1] Although each of these armies were smaller than Aegon's force, they were coming from all sides. Only seventeen years old, Aegon was yet an inexperienced commander. He refused to attack and defeat each of Maegor's forces separately before they could join their powers, as Lord Qarl Corbray advised, as he was loathe to divide his army. Instead, he continued his march on the capital.[2]

Just south of the Gods Eye, Prince Aegon found Davos's force blocking his path sitting on high ground behind a wall of spears, as the forces of the Reach were advancing from the south, and the forces from Lords Tully and Harroway were advancing from the north. Aegon ordered a charge against the hill where the Kingslanders had gathered, hoping to shatter them before the other hosts could flank him. Aegon mounted Quicksilver, intend to lead the attack himself. However, King Maegor I appeared from the south upon the back of Balerion, who was much larger and stronger than Quicksilver. Balerion the Black Dread fell upon the younger dragon from above, ripping a wing from her body. Quicksilver fell to her death, with Prince Aegon upon her back.[2]

Once Aegon fell, the rebels saw their cause lost and ran. They were slaughtered by the loyalists surrounding them as they attempted to escape, and by the end two thousand of Aegon's men had died, including Lord Alyn Tarbeck, Denys Snow, Lord Jon Piper, his sister Melony and two brothers, Lord Ronnel Vance, Ser Willam Whistler, and Lord Farman and his heir. Among Maegor's forces, the losses were fewer. In total a hundred men died, and the only notable loss among them was Ser Davos Darklyn, who had been slain by Lord Corbray with Lady Forlorn.[1][2]



However, Princess Rhaena had avoided capture, having remained at Pinkmaiden Castle with her daughters and dragon. Upon hearing of the outcome of the battle, Rhaena gathered her daughters and fled on dragonback from the riverlands, fearing her uncle's wroth. While first arriving at Lannisport, she would later flee to Faircastle on Fair Isle, the seat of Lord Marq Farman. His father and brother having perished in the battle, Farman offered Rhaena sanctuary beneath his roof.[1] Meanwhile, with the death of Lord Tarbeck, Maegor married his wife, Lady Jeyne Westerling.[2]

During the Faith Militant uprising, Poor Fellows led by Ser Joffrey Doggett targeted and assassinated some of Maegor's loyalists that had participated in the battle, including Old Lord Merryweather, the heir of Lord Peake, and Ser Davos Darklyn's aged father.[1]


  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Fire & Blood, The Sons of the Dragon.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 The Sons of the Dragon.
  4. The World of Ice & Fire, The Riverlands: House Tully.