Every Jaehaerys Targaryen, told apart
4 of them across three hundred years, 2 of whom ruled. This is the single biggest reason the Targaryen family tree confuses people.
All 4, in order of birth
-
Jaehaerys I
34 to 103 ACthe Conciliator
The longest reign in Targaryen history at fifty five years. He made peace with the Faith, codified the law of the Seven Kingdoms and built the kingsroad.
- Reigned
- 48 to 103 AC
- Dragon
- Vermithor
- Parents
- Aenys I Targaryen and Alyssa Velaryon
- Remember them as
- the Conciliator
-
Jaehaerys Targaryen
123 to 129 ACHeir to Aegon II, killed at six years old in his mother’s chambers.
- Parents
- Aegon II Targaryen and Helaena Targaryen
- Remember them as
- son of Aegon II, 123 to 129 AC
-
Jaehaerys II
225 to 262 ACWon the War of the Ninepenny Kings and ended the Blackfyre male line. He married his own children to each other on the strength of a prophecy.
- Reigned
- 259 to 262 AC
- Parents
- Aegon V Targaryen and Betha Blackwood
- Remember them as
- Jaehaerys II Targaryen, 225 AC
-
Jaehaerys Targaryen
274 to 274 ACDied within the year. Aerys had his wet nurse beheaded for it and turned to his pyromancers for a cure.
- Parents
- Aerys II Targaryen and Rhaella Targaryen
- Remember them as
- son of Aerys II, died in infancy
Why they kept reusing the same names
Naming a Targaryen child was a political act. Calling a son Aegon invoked the Conqueror. Calling him Jaehaerys invoked the Old King and fifty five years of peace. Calling him Daeron invoked either the boy who conquered Dorne or the man who married it into the realm, depending on which one you needed.
The cost of that habit is a family tree where the first name tells you almost nothing. The chart on this site labels every person with their dates and their epithet for exactly that reason. If you are trying to work out which one you are looking at, the year is the fastest way in.
Questions about the Jaehaeryses
How many Targaryens were named Jaehaerys?
At least 4 appear on this family tree, of whom 2 ruled from the Iron Throne. The Targaryens reused a small pool of names deliberately, to tie each new child to an ancestor worth invoking.
Why are there so many Targaryens named Jaehaerys?
Naming a child after a celebrated ancestor was a claim on that ancestor’s reputation. Aegon invoked the Conqueror, Jaehaerys invoked the Old King, Daeron invoked the Good. The result is a family tree where a first name tells you almost nothing.
How do you tell them apart?
By their dates and their epithet. Every Targaryen who mattered picked up a nickname, and where they did not, the reign years do the work. This site labels every node on the chart with both.