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Gondor is a fictional location from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth.

History

Like Arnor to the north, Gondor is a human kingdom founded by the line of Elendil after the Downfall of Númenor. It was located to the south of Rohan and to the west of Mordor, on the Bay of Belfalas. Its name means "Land of Stone", from Sindarin gond (stone) + (n)dor (land), most likely given to it because of the Ered Nimrais and other mountain chains in the land.

Before the Downfall of Númenor, Gondor was home to many Númenórean colonists, who either mixed blood with the indiginous Middle Men if they were friendly, or dispersed them into Ras Morthil, Dunland, and Drúadan Forest. Gondor, at a latitude comparable to Venice, was a more fertile region than Arnor to the north, and therefore it already had a larger population before the ships of Elendil's sons arrived. This also caused some problems, as Gondor was founded after Númenor's population had already split between the Elendili and King's Men, and mainly its more southern cities (Umbar and Pelargir) were more friendly with the Men of Middle-earth than with the Elves, who had a haven at Edhellond.

Gondor was part of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men which overthrew Sauron for the first time. After the war Gondor's power and wealth grew steadily (only interrupted by an Easterling invasion in 492 Third Age). In the reign of the powerful king Hyarmendacil I (12th century T.A.) Gondor reached the height of its power.

But after his reign decadence spread under the kings of Gondor and a long period of decline began (although Gondor experienced several revivals). In the 15th century a great civil war named the Kin-strife tore the nation apart.

In 1944 T.A. Gondor faced a constitutional crisis when King Ondoher was slain in battle without heirs. Arvedui of Arthedain and a victorious general named Eärnil claimed the throne. Steward Pelendur intervened in favor of the latter, who reigned as Eärnil II.

The realm was governed by a long line of Stewards after the disappearance of Eärnur, son of Eärnil, since there was no proof that the last king was dead, and no claimant had enough support to be accepted as his successor. Gondor was not willing to risk to another Kin-strife, which would surely have destroyed it. Whenever there was a new Steward, he would swear an oath to yield rule of Gondor back to the king if he should ever return. However, as the centuries passed without any claims to the throne, this oath was not considered seriously.

Gondor as it appeared during the events of the War of the Ring (circa Third Age 3019) has been compared to the Byzantine Empire, for numerous reasons. Both the Byzantine Empire and Gondor were echoes of the old greatness of the earlier Roman Empire and United Kingdom of Elendil, respectively. However, they were still strong in their own right. Also, during a period of relative barbarity surrounding them, both Byzantium and Gondor were a bastion of civilization against the inrushing tide of darkness.

Cirion and Eorl

In 2510 T.A. when Steward Cirion ruled over Gondor, the nation faced one of its greatest perils: an Easterling tribe named the Balchoth invaded Gondor with mass force. Gondor's army marched to fight the Balchoth but were cut off from Minas Tirith and pushed back in the direction of the Limlight.

Messengers were sent to get help from the Éothéod, a tribe which lived in the northern vales of the Anduin, but nobody expected the messengers to reach their destination. When certain peril came upon Gondor, however, the Éothéod turned the tide of the Battle of the Field of Celebrant. After the victory the Éothéod were awarded the fields of Calenardhon north of the Ered Nimrais from the Gap of Rohan at the southern end of the Hithaeglir, Fangorn forest, rivers Limlight to river Anduin, western Emyn Muil and river Mehring, where they established the kingdom of Rohan with Eorl the Young as their first king. A permanent alliance between Gondor and Rohan was established by the oath Eorl swore to Cirion.

War of the Ring

In 3019, during the War of the Ring Gondor faced an all out attack on its capital, Minas Tirith, in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Although nearly defeated, the Rohirrim once again turned the tide of battle, and helped win the war.

After the second and final defeat of Sauron the Kingship was restored with the return of the King and Aragorn II became king of the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor.

Regions of Gondor

Gondor was divided between several nearly autonomous regions. These were the following:

• Ithilien across the Anduin,
• Anórien in the north,
• Lossarnach under Minas Tirith,
• Lebennin of the Five Streams,
• Belfalas and
• Dor-en-Ernil, ruled by the Prince of Dol Amroth,
• Lamedon north of the Ringló, and
• Anfalas or Langstrand in the south-west.

The long cape of Andrast was not populated.

Additionally, Gondor held or had held the following regions at certain points in its history:

• Harondor or South Gondor, which was contested between Gondor and Harad,
• Calenardhon which was given to the Éothéod and became Rohan,
• Enedwaith, never really populated by Gondor and soon abandoned,
• Rhovanion, which was never fully under the control of Gondor but under Gondorian control at certain times during the Third Age.

Cities of Gondor

Cities in Gondor included:

• Minas Tirith, originally Minas Anor,
• Osgiliath on the Anduin, largely destroyed and abandoned by the end of the Third Age,
• Pelargir, the great southern harbour,
• Linhir,
• Ethring,
• Tarnost,
• Calembel,
• Dol Amroth,
• Erech (abandoned by the end of the Third Age).

Additionally, Gondor had held the following cities at certain points in its history:

• Tharbad to the north, abandoned by Gondor as it retreated through Enedwaith and later ruined,
• Angrenost, the fortress of Isengard which was granted to Saruman,
• Helm's Deep, originally a Gondorian fortress but granted to Rohan,
• Minas Ithil, conquered by Mordor and renamed Minas Morgul, and
• Umbar, the far southern harbour which was lost and reclaimed several times.

See also

• Kings of Gondor
• Rivers of Gondor