Within the extensive lore and fictional family history of the Game of Thrones universe, the oldest known and recorded members of House Targaryen date back to the ancient days of the Valyrian Freehold before the catastrophic doom befell their civilization. While early generations included foundational lords and dragonriders whose exact birth dates are lost to antiquity, figures such as King Aenys I or early patriarchs like Aenar the Exile—who foresaw the doom and relocated his family to Dragonstone—represent the earliest prominent heads of the dynasty recorded in historical archives.