Anyway what I want to know is how could Gondor have held such a stronghold East up until the sea of Rhun? They had enough trouble from Mordor and Hardawaith let alone creating such huge extents eastward.
I know that they had help from Rhovanion but would that have been sufficient???
-- Edited by Glorfindel1235 at 19:28, 2006-04-04
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Utúlie'n aurë! Aiya Eldalië ar Atanatári, utúlie'n aurë! Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva!
I'm assuming this was before the Third Age, or at least before the Lord of the Rings? I don't know much about this particular topic, but I think it may have had something to do with Gondor's glory and power waning.
There is a LOT about that in UT Cirion and Eorl. The main reason why Gondor retreated where the attacks from the people in the East. Also you must remember these Wainriders where in alliance with Haradwaith at the time and attacked Gondor simultaneously from the North and from the South. Mordor at the time was however still empty and still under the watch of Gondor so it didn't pose much of a threat. there is a lot about those wars of Gondor, but here are some of the most important quotes: Wainriders had mustered a great host by the southern shores of the inland Sea of Rhûn, strengthened by men of their kinsfolk in Rhovanion and from their new allies in Khand. When all was ready they set out for Gondor from the East, moving with all the speed they could along the line of the Ered Lithui, where their approach was not observed until too late. On the other hand the eastern Wainriders had been spreading southward, beyond Mordor, and were in conflict with the peoples of Khand and their neighbours further south. Eventually a peace and alliance was agreed between these enemies of Gondor, and an attack was prepared that should be made at the same time from north and south. (Unfinished Tales, Cirion and Eorl) After this the crown of Gondor was given to Earnil, whose son Earnur was the last king of Gondor before Aragorn. But all these troubles started after the great plague came from the East. Also about the threats, you must not forget the Corsairs of Umbar who were very active at the time and who also continously attacked Gondor.
Glorfindel: Gondor was able to hold huge amounts of territory east of the Anduin for several reasons: first, as Eonwe said, Gondor was at the peak of its glory - the army that helped destroy Angmar later in the Third Age would have been barely a vanguard of the military might of Gondor at this point. Second, Gondor had not yet suffered the Kinslaying, or the Great Plague, or the Invasion of the Wainriders when it controlled Rhovanion. Finally and most importantly, Gondor had an alliance with the Men of Rhovanion, and together they were able to defeat any attempts by Easterlings to invade Rhovanion.
Yes Oin but remember Gondor had to deal with the Haradwaith in the south, the Eaterlings which would attack this wide open land before any other parts of Gondor and Dol Guldur. Although Gondor did hold this area it was only for a very short time I believe.
