Whereas many readers and viewers primarily affiliate the foremost cities of Westeros with King’s Touchdown, the bustling capital constructed by the Targaryens, the continent holds metropolises of far better age and depth. Amongst these historical facilities of energy and affect, none stands taller – each actually and figuratively – than Oldtown. Nestled on the mouth of the Honeywine, Oldtown boasts a historical past that stretches again hundreds of years, lengthy predating the arrival of the dragons. This text delves into the fascinating historical past and character of **Oldtown earlier than Aegon**’s Conquest, exploring its distinctive place as a foundational pillar of Westeros – a metropolis of data, religion, and commerce that thrived independently for millennia.
The Deep Roots: Founding and Early Historical past
The origins of Oldtown are shrouded within the mists of deep historical past, predating the arrival of the Andals and even the First Males in some legends. What is understood is that the positioning has been inhabited for a really very long time, drawn by the strategic location on the mouth of a navigable river, offering entry to the fertile lands of the Attain and the huge alternatives of the Sundown Sea.
Legends communicate of the muse of the bottom of the Hightower, a colossal construction constructed from the identical oily black stone present in mysterious historical websites like Asshai and the Seastone Chair of the Iron Islands. Who constructed this base stays certainly one of Westeros’s nice enigmas – some say the First Males, others trace at even older, maybe non-human, palms. Upon this enigmatic basis, the ancestors of the Hightower household step by step constructed their tower larger and better over centuries, finally creating the sky-piercing beacon we all know.
The Hightower household itself is likely one of the oldest noble strains in Westeros, claiming descent from the First Males kings. They have been petty kings in their very own proper earlier than bending the knee to the Gardeners, the Kings of the Attain at Highgarden. Whilst vassals, their management over Oldtown and its burgeoning port granted them immense wealth and a novel diploma of autonomy and affect inside the Attain, setting the stage for the town’s prominence lengthy earlier than the dragons ever soared over Blackwater Bay. Oldtown, on this historical period, was not merely a big city; it was a burgeoning city-state of serious energy.
Pillars of Energy: The Establishments That Outlined the Metropolis
What actually set Oldtown aside and solidified its standing as a cornerstone of Westeros **earlier than Aegon** have been its three nice establishments. Every represented a special side of energy – wealth and political may, information and studying, and non secular authority – and their presence collectively made Oldtown a novel entity.
The Seat of the Hightowers
Towering over the town, the Hightower was greater than only a landmark; it was the bodily embodiment of the ruling household’s energy. Lord Hightower was the town’s secular ruler, his household’s fortune constructed on controlling the very important commerce that flowed by way of the Honeywine and into the town’s bustling port. They levied taxes, managed defenses (together with the formidable Blackwall), and held sway over the encompassing lands. The Hightowers have been famously pragmatic, usually preferring commerce and diplomacy over warfare, a trait that served them effectively all through historical past. Their wealth rivaled, and typically exceeded, that of the Gardener kings they nominally served. Their affect prolonged far past Oldtown itself, making them key gamers within the politics of the Attain and past. The Hightower area was a beacon of stability and prosperity inside the realm.
The Esteemed Citadel
Maybe essentially the most iconic establishment situated in Oldtown earlier than Aegon was the Citadel. Based by the Archmaesters, the Citadel is the guts of scholarly studying and information preservation in all of Westeros. Right here, males from throughout the continent got here to coach, forging the hyperlinks of their maester’s chains, every representing mastery in a special area of examine. Maesters served each citadel, counseling lords, sending ravens, and maintaining information. The Citadel in Oldtown earlier than Aegon was the central repository of this huge community of data. Its library was legendary, housing numerous scrolls, books, and forbidden texts.
The Citadel’s energy was refined however pervasive. By controlling communication (the raven community) and serving as trusted advisors to the the Aristocracy, the maesters held immense, quiet affect. Crucially, the Citadel maintained a level of independence, theoretically serving the realm as a complete relatively than any single lord or king. This neutrality, centered in Oldtown, made the town the de facto mental capital of Westeros, a spot the place historical past, science, and philosophy have been studied and preserved, even amidst the chaos of wars and altering dynasties.
The Starry Sept: Coronary heart of the Religion
For hundreds of years, Oldtown additionally served because the non secular capital of the dominant faith of Westeros, the Religion of the Seven. The Starry Sept in Oldtown earlier than Aegon was the seat of the Excessive Septon, the supreme chief of the Religion. From this magnificent construction, the Religion exerted its ethical and non secular authority over the widespread individuals and far of the the Aristocracy throughout the continent (excluding the North, which largely adhered to the Previous Gods).
The Excessive Septon and his Most Religious held vital sway, issuing pronouncements on issues of doctrine, judging ethical transgressions, and influencing the lives of hundreds of thousands. Whereas not all the time in good concord, the presence of the Religion, the Citadel, and the Hightowers created a novel dynamic in Oldtown. They have been three pillars of energy, typically competing, usually cooperating, however collectively reinforcing the town’s central significance lengthy earlier than King’s Touchdown existed. The Starry Sept added a layer of sanctity and pilgrimage to the town’s profile.
A Bustling Metropolis: Commerce, Tradition, and Day by day Life
Past its establishments, Oldtown earlier than Aegon was a vibrant, sprawling metropolis. As the first port of the Attain and a serious hub for commerce with the Westerlands, the Dornish Marches, and even probably Essos, its docks have been continuously crammed with ships unloading items – grain, wine, wool, timber, and unique luxuries from throughout the seas. This financial engine fueled the town’s progress and supported its giant, numerous inhabitants.
The town itself was a maze of streets, markets, guilds, temples, and residential areas, all protected by the formidable Blackwall. The Blackwall, one other construction whose origins are debated, encircled the principle a part of the town, a layer of protection in opposition to potential threats. Life in Oldtown earlier than Aegon would have been wealthy and diverse, a mix of the educational pursuits of the Citadel, the spiritual devotion centered on the Starry Sept, and the hard-nosed pragmatism of the service provider class and seafarers drawn by the port. It was a metropolis the place students debated theology alongside retailers haggling over costs, all below the watchful gaze of the Hightower. Its distinctive tradition was a testomony to this confluence of influences.
Oldtown’s Place Throughout the Kingdom of the Attain
Whereas the Gardeners of Highgarden held the title of Kings of the Attain, Oldtown earlier than Aegon was an influence middle unto itself. The Hightowers have been arguably the wealthiest and most influential bannermen of the Gardeners. Their relationship was complicated; allies in opposition to widespread enemies, usually tied by marriage, however with an underlying stress because of Oldtown’s immense sources and distinctive establishments.
The Hightowers commanded giant forces and managed vital infrastructure. The Citadel and the Religion, whereas not strictly vassals of the Gardeners, have been headquartered in Oldtown, including layers of authority that Highgarden couldn’t straight management. Thus, Oldtown earlier than Aegon was a semi-autonomous entity inside the bigger kingdom, an important financial and cultural coronary heart whose cooperation the Gardeners wanted, however whose independence they needed to respect.
Going through the Dragons: Going through Aegon’s Conquest
The period of Oldtown earlier than Aegon’s direct rule got here to a dramatic, but in the end peaceable, finish with the approaching of the Targaryens. Whereas the remainder of the Attain mustered its forces below King Mern IX Gardener to face Aegon on the Subject of Hearth – a battle that resulted within the fiery annihilation of the Gardener military and the top of their dynasty – Oldtown confronted a special resolution.
As Aegon and his dragons marched south after their victory, the destiny of Oldtown hung within the stability. Throughout the metropolis partitions, Lord Hightower, the Excessive Septon, and the Archmaesters of the Citadel convened. They’d heard the terrifying tales of dragonfire, seen the ashes of their king and his military. Their deliberations have been momentous. Ought to they resist the dragons and threat the destruction of their historical metropolis, its priceless libraries, its holy sept, and its individuals? Or ought to they yield?
In a transfer that solidified their status for pragmatism and in the end saved Oldtown, they selected give up. Lord Hightower despatched his son to Aegon’s camp to supply fealty. When Aegon arrived on the gates, the Excessive Septon himself emerged from the Starry Sept to crown Aegon, acknowledging him as King of All Westeros. This pivotal resolution meant that Oldtown was spared the destiny of Harrenhal or the military on the Subject of Hearth. It transitioned from being Oldtown earlier than Aegon’s rule to Oldtown below Targaryen dominion, however its bodily constructions and key establishments remained intact. The Starry Sept remained the seat of the Religion for a time, and the Citadel continued its work, guaranteeing Oldtown’s continued significance within the new period.
Conclusion: An Enduring Legacy
Exploring the historical past of **Oldtown earlier than Aegon** reveals a metropolis of profound significance, a real historical coronary heart of Westeros. Lengthy earlier than the foundations of King’s Touchdown have been laid, Oldtown was a thriving metropolis constructed on the deep roots of historical past, the immense wealth of commerce, and the concentrated energy of key establishments. The Hightowers supplied political and financial management, the Citadel served because the unparalleled middle of data, and the Starry Sept was the non secular beacon for hundreds of thousands.
Oldtown was not merely a metropolis however a civilization in itself, an important participant within the historical past of the Attain and the continent, unbiased of the dragonlords. Its resolution to give up to Aegon I used to be a realistic selection that ensured its survival, permitting it to proceed to play an important function within the historical past of Westeros for hundreds of years to come back, at the same time as its identification shifted from Oldtown earlier than Aegon to Oldtown below the King on the Iron Throne. Its historical stones, the towering Hightower, the sprawling Citadel, and the remnants of the Starry Sept all stand as testaments to its enduring legacy as a metropolis that formed Westeros lengthy earlier than the dragons got here.
