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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.

Early History

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.

Rise of Gondor

Gondor Prospers

After the war Gondor's power and wealth grew steadily (only interrupted by an Easterling invasion in 492 Third Age). It's power would continue to grow into the 9th century of the Third Age. With the power of Gondor's sister kingdom Arnor peaked during the 9th century, when it broke into various successor states, Gondor's greatest glory was yet to come.

Gondor's Golden Age

Gondor's power reached it's Golden Age under the four "Ship-kings":

Tarannon Falastur r. 840–913. First of the Ship-Kings, died childless Eärnil I r. 913–936. Sister-son of Tarannon Ciryandil r. 936–1015 Hyarmendacil I (Ciryaher) r. 1015–1149. Last of the Ship-Kings. In the reign of the powerful king Hyarmendacil I (c. 12th century T.A.) Gondor reached the height of its power.

The Decline of Gondor

But after his reign decadence spread under the kings of Gondor and a long period of decline began (although Gondor experienced several revivals). Three great calamities struck Gondor during the second millenium of the Third Age, which are held to be the chief reasons for its decline: the Kin-strife, the Great Plague, and the invasion of the Wainriders (a tribe of Easterlings).

The Kin-strife

In the 15th century a great civil war named the Kin-strife tore the nation apart. The current King Eldacar was of mixed blood: his mother was of the Northmen. Popular displeasure at this led to the overthrow of King Eldacar by Castamir, the admiral of all of Gondor's naval forces who possessed some royal blood. Eldacar's son was slain, and he fled north. Castamir was afterwards known as Castamir the Usurper. During his ten year rule he proved to be very cruel, and because of his love of his old fleet, he lavished attention on the coastal regions while the interior provinces were ignored and left to rot. Eldacar then returned with an army of his Northman kinsmen, and they were joined by armies of Gondorians from interior provinces such as Anorien. Osgiliath was devastated during this conflict, it's great bridge destroyed and it's Palantir lost. Eldacar slew Castamir and reclaimed his throne, but Castamir's sons and their forces were besieged in Pelargir, the great port of Gondor. They eventually retreated to Umbar, where they joined with the Corsairs, and troubled Gondor for many years, until their descendants died out.

The Great Plague

Later, the Great Plague struck and the White Tree died. This Plague was no localized event: the Plague swept through all of Middle-earth, reaching the successor states of Arnor and the Hobbits of the Shire in the North. During this time, Gondor was so depopulated that the fortifications guarding against the re-entry of evil into Mordor were abandoned. It is believed that had the Haradrim or Easterlings decided to attack Gondor at this time it would have easily fallen, but the Plague left Gondor's enemies in no better condition than Gondor itself, and neither side was capable of mounting new offensives.

The Invasion of the Wainriders

Following the sapping of Gondor's strengh by the plague the Wainrider invasions devastated Gondor, and the conflict lasted for well over a century. The Wainriders destroyed the Northern Army of Gondor, but survivors linked up with the victories Southern Army of Gondor, led by a general named Eärnil, and they destroyed the Wainriders as they celebrated their victory during the Battle of the Camp.

The Line of the Kings Fails

Reunification Rejected

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

The Last Heir of Anárion

During the Battle of Fornost, Eärnil II's heir Eärnur led Gondor's forces to victory of the Witch-king of Angmar, who was actually the Lord of the Nazghul. Although Eärnur wished to fight him, Eärnur's horse was terrified and fled the battle against his wishes. By the time he mastered his horse and return, the Witch-king had fled. Glorfindel the Elf then prophesied to him that it was better that he not fight the Lord of the Nazgul because "never by the hand of Man shall he fall".

Eärnur later ascended to the throne, ruling from Minas Anor (Tower of the Sun). During this time, the Ringwraiths captured Minas Anor's sister city, Minas Ithil (Tower of the Moon), renaming it Minas Morgul (Tower of Sorcery)and taking it as their lair. Minas Anor was renamed Minas Tirith (Tower of Guard) as a result. The Lord of the Nazgul repeatedly sent messengers to Minas Tirith challenging Eärnur to single combat, taunting him that he had fled out of cowardice from facing him during the Battle of Fornost. Eventually, King Eärnur was overcome by wrath and rode with a small company of knight to Minas Morgul, to accept the challenge. They were never heard from again. So ended the Line of Anárion.

The Stewards of Gondor

The Ruling Stewards

The realm was governed by a long line of hereditary 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. During the War of the Ring, the Ruling Steward of Gondor was Denethor II, and his two sons were Boromir and younger Faramir.

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. (see Reunited Kingdom for further history of the lands of old Gondor).

Faramir, last heir of the Ruling Stewards, was to retain the office of steward (though not ruling), and was made Prince of Ithilien, which had been reconquered from the forces of Mordor.

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.

Regions of Gondor

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

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 and fortresses of Gondor

Cities in Gondor included:

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

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

See also