House Of The Dragon, set before the classic Game Of Thrones series, alludes to the ruined city of Valyria but what exactly happened to it?
In the Game Of Thrones, the prequel is still seen to reference the city of Valyria in different ways, including in the practice of its once spoken language, High Valyrian.
The references have prompted some fans to wonder about what happened to the city of Valyria. Let’s take a look…
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Valyria was once the capital of the Valyrian Freehold
The city of Valyria was a part of the Valyrian Peninsula that extended southwards from the continent of Essos.
The ancient city was at the heart of the Valyrian Freehold, which was considered to be the greatest and most powerful civilization during its time.
Game Of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin previously discussed how the concept for the city of Valeria was partly inspired by the Italian capital Rome.
While chatting to Smarter Travel, the author linked Valyria and Rome as he explained like the fictional Essos city, Rome was “the dominant world power for hundreds of years.”
However, Martin went on to add that while the two were similar, he explained that Valyria held its power due to “magic and dragons” and the “strength of their legions.”
What happened to Valyria?
While Valyria was once a prosperous city for more than 5,000 years, it was destroyed overnight in the wake of a catastrophic natural disaster.
The event known as The Doom of Valyria, as dubbed by ScreenRant, was a “volcanic apocalypse.” Game Of Thrones fans may recall that the events of The Doom were alluded to in a poem recited by Tyrion Lannister and Jorah Mormont in the series.
The poem is seen to reflect the natural disaster unfolding, including volcanic eruptions, as one line reads: “the hills that split asunder.”
As Valyria remains largely a mystery, including the exact events of its fall, the poem has been interpreted by fans over the years to give an insight into what happened.
As explained by the A Wiki Of Ice And Fire, The Doom is thought to have seen the city’s air become overwhelmed by ash and smoke after volcanoes erupted across Valyria.
The Game Of Thrones Wiki site adds that, in particular, the Fourteen Fires, a string of volcanoes erupted at mass, causing the city to be covered in ash.
The Doom of Valyria left the city in ruins
The Doom saw the once Valyrian Peninsula partly destroyed as it separated from the mainland of Essos.
The remaining parts of the city which did not descend to the depths of the sea were left covered in ash, thanks to the volcanic eruptions across the city, which caused ash to fall onto the city.
The surrounding sea around the newly formed fragment islands from the Valyrian Peninsula also became known as the Smoking Sea due to its misty surface.
Following the events of The Doom, the city went on to be referred to as Old Valyria.