He is the Lord of the Rings, the one who would
torment the lands of Middle-earth for three ages of the world. But long before he would craft his ring and
wage his greatest wars, he would serve as the most trusted lieutenant of Morgoth, assisting
him in his conquest, and fighting against the mighty heroes of Beleriand. Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the
life and travels of Sauron throughout all the ages of Middle-earth. In the beginning, Sauron was a maia known
as Mairon, serving under Aule - the smith of the Valar. However, Mairon would be swayed to join the
evil vala Melkor. You see, Mairon had a love for order and a
strong distaste for chaos and confusion. This obsession would overtake his love for
the other beings in Arda, to the point where it becomes his sole focus. So much so that he admires Melkor’s power
and his attempts to shape the world as he sees fit. Mairon comes to serve Melkor, becoming his
most trusted servant. He becomes known as Gorthaur, meaning “Terrible
Dread” among the Sindar and by his more common name Sauron meaning “the Abhorred”
in Quenya. In the earliest days of Middle-earth, Morgoth
has two fortresses, Utumno and Angband. While Morgoth would rule the greatest himself,
he give Sauron command of Angband. After the destruction of the Two Lamps and
the awakening of the elves, the Valar decide to move against Morgoth in the Battle of the
Powers. While this would primarily be a siege upon
Utumno, the Valar in their victory would also search Angband. Sauron, however, would evade their capture
and continue to dwell in Middle-earth while his master is held captive in Valinor for
roughly 2,850 years. We know very little of what Sauron did during
these long years, aside from biding his time, awaiting the return of his master. This day would eventually come as the Valar
give Morgoth a second chance, which he uses to steal the silmarils, destroy the Two Trees
- the sources of light for the world - and flee to Beleriand. With the Two Trees destroyed, the Valar create
the Sun and Moon. As the Sun rises for the first time, it marks
the awakening of the second Children of Iluvatar - Men. Morgoth sees an opportunity to corrupt these
new beings to his will and travels to the East of Middle-earth, leaving Sauron in command
of the war between the dark forces and the elves of Beleriand. In the first 455 years of the First Age, Morgoth
would only have fairly small victories against the Elves, with the Free Peoples keeping the
dark lord in check for the most part. In 455, however, Morgoth launches the Dagor
Bragollach, the Battle of Sudden Flame, which devastates the plains of Anfauglith, the realm
of Dorthonion, and would mark the beginning of Morgoth’s gradual march toward domination. Upon seeing the devastation across the plain,
Fingolfin rides to Angband to challenge Morgoth to single combat. Despite putting up a remarkable fight, Fingolfin
is crushed by the dark lord. The death of the High King of the Noldor,
and the scorching of the plains, opens the door for Sauron to attack the island of Tol
Sirion. We are told that at Sauron’s coming, absolute
fear falls upon Orodreth and the defenders of the Tol Sirion. The realm falls to Sauron and he takes control
of the great tower of Minas Tirith in 457 FA. This is an important event, as controlling
this area opens the passage to the East of Beleriand to Morgoth’s forces. Tol Sirion is now ruled by Sauron and is renamed
Tol-in-Gaurhoth - the Isle of Werewolves. Werewolves, while only being mentioned in
the Third Age by Gandalf, play a much bigger role in the First Age. Not only is Sauron their master, but he is
also their creator. These monstrous creatures were bred from the
wolves of Morgoth. Sauron would then imprison evil spirits within
the bodies, thus creating the monstrous werewolves. At times, Sauron also takes on the form of
a wolf himself. He is also known to transform into a serpent
and a vampire. After the Dagor Bragollach, Beren, his father
Barahir, and a group of men would operate as outlaws in their former lands of Dorthonion. Hearing of the actions of these men, Morgoth
orders Sauron to wipe them out. Sauron’s orcs manage to capture one of these
outlaws named Gorlim, after he saw what he thought was his wife, who had been missing
since the Bragollach. Thus Gorlim was ensnared; and taking him to
their camp they tormented, seeking to learn the hidings of Barahir and all his ways. But nothing would Gorlim tell. Then they promised him that he should be released
and restored to Eilinel, if he would yield; and being at last worn with pain, and yearning
for his wife, he faltered. Then straightaway they brought him into the
dreadful presence of Sauron; and Sauron said: 'I hear now that thou wouldst barter with
me. What is thy price?' And Gorlim answered that he should find Eilinel
again, and with her be set free; for he thought Eilinel also had been made captive. Then Sauron smiled, saying: 'That is a small
price for so great a treachery. So shall it surely be. Say on!' Now Gorlim would have drawn back, but daunted
by the eyes of Sauron he told at last all that he would know. Then Sauron laughed; and he mocked Gorlim,
and revealed to him that he had only seen a phantom devised by wizardry to entrap him;
for Eilinel was dead. 'Nonetheless I will grant thy prayer,' said
Sauron; 'and thou shalt go to Eilinel, and be set free of my service.' Then he put him cruelly to death. In 460 FA, Sauron sends a force of orcs to
the outlaws’ hideout of Tarn Aeluin (eye-loo-een), where all are killed, except Beren. Beren continues to operate in the area as
a lone outlaw, achieving great deeds against the forces of the Dark Lord. In response, Morgoth sets a high price on
Beren’s head, leading Sauron to command a great army of werewolves and fell beasts
to search for Beren. This forces Beren to flee south, where he
would meet Luthien and be tasked by her father Thingol to steal a Silmaril from Morgoth’s
crown. This quest in 465 FA, would bring Beren, Galadriel’s
brother Finrod, and a group of ten elves to attempt the passage to the north. Finrod uses his magic to disguise the group
as orcs, in an effort to pass by Sauron’s isle unnoticed. However, Sauron had ordered all who pass to
report to him. When he notices this band of orcs passing
without reporting, they are captured and brought before him. There, Finrod and Sauron fight in songs of
power and while both possess great strength, Sauron is more powerful. He strips them of their orc disguises, but
cannot determine who they are or what their purpose was. When they refuse to disclose any of this information,
Sauron throws all 12 into a dark pit. There, one by one, they are devoured by a
werewolf. Even as they are consumed one by one, Beren
and the elves will not betray one another. Finally, Finrod and Beren are the only two
who remain. As the werewolf goes to attack Beren, Finrod
fights the werewolf and, using every bit of his power left to him, kills the wolf. Finrod soon dies of his wounds from the battle. In this moment, Luthien comes to the bridge
of Tol-in-Gaurhoth and begins to sing. Sauron sees her from his tower of Minas Tirith
and knows her to be the daughter of Melian and Thingol. Rather than kill her, he wishes to capture
her so that he may deliver her to Morgoth. He sends werewolf after werewolf to the bridge,
but they are each in turn killed by Luthien’s companion - Huan the Hound. Finally, Sauron sends Draugluin - the great
father of the werewolves. After a fierce battle with the hound, Draugluin
flees, telling Sauron of Huan before he dies. Sauron sends no more servants. He will take this battle himself. He takes the form of a werewolf - said to
be the greatest the world had ever seen, and comes to the bridge to fight the hound of
valinor. So great was the terror of his approach that
even Huan momentarily recoils from his might. Sauron leaps at Luthien. She draws her magic veil over his eyes, blinding
him and afflicting him with fatigue. Huan then jumps upon Sauron and the two fight
their brutal fight. It is said Luthien is left weak and very nearly
unconscious from the force of Sauron’s malice alone. While Sauron fights fiercely, he cannot defeat
the hound. Eventually, Huan traps Sauron within his jaws. In an attempt to escape, Sauron takes the
form of a serpent, still the hound holds him captive. Finally, he returns to his normal form. Here, Sauron is faced with a choice. As an immortal spirit, he can abandon his
physical form, but as we see in later ages - it takes a long time for him to regain it. Instead, he yields control of the isle to
Luthien in exchange for his release. Now free, he takes the form of a vampire,
fleeing to Taur-nu-Fuin, where he fills the forest with horror. 80 years later, in 545 FA, the Host of the
West, led by the maia Eonwe, comes to Beleriand in an effort to overthrow Morgoth. What follows is the 40-year War of Wrath,
an unimaginable battle with uncountable combatants and devastation throughout the lands of Beleriand. In the end, Angband is destroyed, Morgoth
is once again captured, bound in chains, and his feet hewn from under him. Sauron, knowing his master is utterly defeated,
takes on a fair form and repents of his evil deeds to Eonwe. Eonwe orders Sauron to return to Valinor,
where he may repent to Manwe and receive judgement. However, Sauron is unwilling to endure such
humiliation. Instead, he flees to the lands of Middle-earth,
where he would hide, biding his time. With his master banished to the void, the
time has come for a new Dark Lord. One that would use all his cunning, and his
craftsmanship, to bend Middle-earth to his will. At the start of the Second Age, Sauron has
just experienced the massive defeat of his master in the War of Wrath. He is told by Eonwe, the leader of the Host
of the West, that he should go to Valinor and be judged for his actions if he truly
wished to repent. Instead, Sauron flees hiding in the lands
of Middle-earth. 500 years later, Sauron comes to the conclusion
that the Valar have turned a blind eye to Middle-earth, and he realizes that he can
continue his master’s work, becoming the new dark lord. Sauron begins to work in the East and the
South, among people who had centuries earlier been influenced by Morgoth. Preying upon these old alliances, he finds
followers who fall under his Shadow. By 882 SA, Gil-galad, the high king of the
Noldor, senses a shadow rising in the East. He sends a warning to Numenor - though the
great darkness had been defeated centuries earlier in Beleriand, a new power is rising
and they must prepare for an eventual war. Around 1000 SA, Sauron is alarmed at the growing
power of the Numenoreans. Knowing he must create a stronghold of his
own, he chooses the lands of Mordor and begins the construction of Barad-dur near Mount Doom. Always a master at manipulation, Sauron must
decide who next to pursue - the elves of Eriador or the Men of Numenor. Despite knowing that men were easier to sway,
he decides on the elves due to their innate power. He lies hidden for 200 years, all the while
increasing his power. Finally, in 1200 SA, he puts on a fair visage
with which to trick the elves. He calls himself Annatar, the Lord of Gifts. Traveling to Eriador, he claims to be an emissary
from the Valar themselves. He wishes to infiltrate Lindon, as it is the
greatest and mightiest of the elven realms, and home of the high king. However, Gil-galad and Elrond do not trust
this mysterious entity. While they cannot perceive his true identity,
they do not trust him, and refuse him entry into their realm. Instead, Annatar turns to another elven realm
in Eriador - Eregion. There, he is gladly received by the Lord Celebrimbor. We are told that among the people of Eregion,
Galadriel alone held distrust for Annatar. However, Celebrimbor is swayed by the lord
of gifts. The elven lord leads the Gwaith-i-Mirdain,
the Brotherhood of Jewel-smiths, and from Annatar they learn much in both art and magic. Sauron, who was once a servant of Aule, the
smith of the Valar, leads the Gwaith-i-Mirdain to become the greatest smiths of the age. It is said that Celebrimbor became more skilled
than any smith to ever live, save for his grandfather Feanor. By 1500 SA, after studying under Annatar for
nearly 300 years, the Gwaith-i-Mirdain have reached the pinnacle of their skill and begin
forging the Rings of Power. For Annatar had promised them that these rings
would help preserve their realms and powers over Middle-earth. After 90 years, the first 16 Rings of Power
are completed. At this time, Annatar takes his leave from
Eregion, traveling back to Mordor. There, in 1600 SA, he creates The One Ring
- a master ring into which he pours most of his own power so that he may control the bearers
of the 16. The ring is inscribed with the iconic phrase:
Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul. In one of his first acts using the ring, he
completes the construction of Barad-dur, binding the very foundations of the dark tower to
the One Ring. However, the elves would perceive his deception
as the Dark Lord places the ring upon his finger. Celebrimbor and the other elves are immediately
aware of him, realizing they had been betrayed. Celebrimbor locks the 16 within a vault in
Eregion and sends the three rings, which he had made himself after Sauron’s departure,
to Gil-galad in Lindon and Galadriel in Lorien. Above all others, Sauron covets the three
elven rings. He demands that the elves give to him all
the Rings of Power. The elves refuse and the War of the Elves
and Sauron is now inevitable. Next, Sauron builds the Black Gate of Mordor
to prevent invasion into his lands and begins amassing an army of Orcs, Trolls, and Men
who had come to worship him as a god-king. We are told that despite finding many followers
among the Easterlings and Southrons, there are still those who oppose him. Due to their resistance, and possibly thanks
to the work of the Blue Wizards, it takes Sauron much longer than expected to raise
his army. Finally, 95 years after the creation of the
One Ring, Sauron launches his war upon Eriador. As Eregion comes under attack, Gil-galad sends
an army commanded by Elrond to aid the elves, while also calling for aid from Numenor. After two years of bloody conflict, the capital
of Ost-in-Edhil is sacked, Celebrimbor is captured, and the realm of Eregion is laid
to waste. Sauron has Elrond and his forces cornered
and facing their own destruction when the dwarves of Khazad-dum attack Sauron’s rear
flank, diverting his attention. Elrond leads the survivors, including Galadriel’s
husband Celeborn, north where he would found the refuge of Rivendell. The dwarves retreat and shut the gates of
Moria, which would not open from the outside again until the time of the Fellowship. Sauron tortures Celebrimbor, and while he
would claim the 16 rings (or 15 depending on the version of the story) from the vaults
of Eregion, Celebrimbor would not divulge the location of the three elven rings. The elf lord is killed, pierced by arrows,
and his body placed on a spike and used as a war banner as Sauron continues his brutal
war. By 1699, Sauron has conquered nearly all of
Eriador and the elves in Lindon and Rivendell are facing a vast and powerful army seeking
their destruction. At this moment, Sauron’s control over Middle-earth
is as vast as it will ever be. At no time before or after would he rule over
a larger area. As the situation is at its most dire, the
Numenoreans answer Lindon’s call (1700 SA). They reinforce the elves and drive Sauron
back from the frontlines along the River Lhun. Sauron retreats to Sarn Ford, where he is
defeated again. He retreats further to Tharbad, where he is
reinforced from the South-east. However, Sauron was not aware of a second
fleet sent by Numenor’s king to the mouth of the Gwathlo. This force attacks from the southwest, while
Gil-galad and the other Numenoreans attack from the North. Sauron’s army is decimated and the dark
lord barely escapes himself. By the time Sauron returns to Mordor (1701
SA), he is left with just a small personal guard. Gil-galad defeats the cut off forces laying
siege to Imladris, and Sauron’s defeat in Eriador is complete. While Sauron’s might would never again equal
what it was during his conquest of Eriador, his enemies had been decimated as well, so
he faced no immediate threat. He held a deep hatred, however, for the Numenoreans
- those who had snatched away his ultimate victory. Eventually he would turn his attention to
the island realm, using other means than strength of arms. Still possessing 16 rings of power, all of
which were originally intended for the elves, Sauron decides instead to target the other
races of Middle-earth. Seven rings come to be possessed by dwarven
lords, who would prove too hardy to be enslaved by the One. The Nine however, are given to men - three
corrupted lords of Numenor, an easterling King named Khamul, and five other men whose
identities are a mystery. While initially becoming great rulers, warriors,
and sorcerers, the nine would fade and in 2251 SA, they first appear as the Ringwraiths
- the greatest of Sauron’s slaves. Over 1500 years after his defeat in Eriador,
Sauron is confident that will again rise to great power and dominate all of Middle-earth,
Sauron declares himself King of Men, Lord of the Earth, and many similarly boastful
titles. By this time, Numenor has fallen under shadow,
its leaders becoming oppressive and cruel, and turning their backs upon the Valar and
Eldar. Sauron’s titles offend one of the most evil
of all Numenor’s kings - Ar-Pharazon. In 3262, Ar-Pharazon lands a great fleet at
the Haven of Umbar, marching to Mordor. So great was the splendor of Numenor that
Sauron’s armies flee and desert him. Knowing he cannot match Numenor with military
might, he again takes his fair form, surrendering to Ar-Pharazon. Sauron is taken back to Numenor as a captive,
but as we see time and again, the dark lord has far more dangerous weapons than brute
strength. He quickly goes from prisoner to the king’s
chief adviser with that very year. Sauron seduces the king with his words, turning
him further away from the Valar, and toward his dark master… 'It is he whose name is not now spoken; for
the Valar have deceived you concerning him, putting forward the name of Eru, a phantom
devised in the folly of their hearts, seeking to enchain Men in servitude to themselves. For they are the oracle of this Eru, which
speaks only what they will. But he that is their master shall yet prevail,
and he will deliver you from this phantom; and his name is Melkor, Lord of All, Giver
of Freedom, and he shall make you stronger than they.' Known as Zigur the Wizard, the dark lord convinces
the king to cut down the sacred White Tree and in its place, they build a great temple
for the worship of Morgoth. There, he serves at the High Priest of the
Cult of Melkor, practicing human sacrifices among both slaves, and the Numenoreans faithful
to the Valar. Finally, in 3310 SA, Sauron convinces an aging
Ar-Pharazon that the only way he can avoid death, the Doom of Man, is to take the lands
of the Valar by force. For the next nine years, Ar-Pharazon and the
evil Numenoreans construct the Great Armament - the mightiest naval force ever assembled. As Ar-Pharazon sails for Valinor, Sauron remains
behind in the temple of Melkor. As the Numenoreans land in Valinor, Eru himself
intervenes. He breaks the very world - Pharazon and his
army is buried under the earth and Numenor is plunged into the sea. Sauron is caught in the destruction of the
island and while his body is destroyed, his spirit endures. Despite being weakened, his spirit flees back
to Middle-earth in 3320. Once again, he sets to work, slowly but surely
regaining his strength. However, from this point on, he is no longer
able to take on his fair form. With this development, he abandons his attempts
to manipulate to gain power and instead embraces ruling through terror and force - truly becoming
the next great dark lord. Some of the evil Numenoreans who had lived
in places like Umbar survived the downfall, becoming known as the Black Numenoreans and
remaining loyal to Sauron. Meanwhile, those among the Faithful also survive
and found the realms of Gondor and Arnor. These people of Elendil remain Sauron’s
most hated enemies and in 3429, he launches an attack in an attempt to not allow them
to grow too great in power. Driven from his city of Minas Ithil, Isildur
reports to his father in the north. There, Gil-galad would once again ally with
the men of Numenor in working against Sauron, forming the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Hearing of this new threat, Sauron sends orcs
from Mordor to the Misty Mountains in an attempt to ambush them and burns the gardens of the
Entwives in an effort to slow the army’s march to Mordor. Despite these moves, the Last Alliance reaches
the Black Gate in 3434 SA, where they are victorious in the Battle of Dagorlad - the
very battle that resulted in the Dead Marshes. For the next seven years, Sauron’s tower
of Barad-dur is under siege. Finally, in 3441, Sauron himself comes forth
to face his enemies in combat. The appearance of the Dark Lord drives back
the Last Alliance to Mount Doom. Elendil and Gil-galad, the mighty kings of
the men and elves, fight Sauron upon the slopes of Orodruin. Elendil and Gil-galad would succeed in vanquishing
the dark lord, yet the deed would cost both their lives. Coming up to Sauron’s fallen body, Isildur,
the son of Elendil, cuts the One Ring from his finger, claiming it as his own in recompense
for his fallen father and brother. Sauron’s spirit would once again flee, this
time to the East. It would take the dark lord 1000 years to
return to the western lands of Middle-earth. Without his Ruling Ring, his path to regaining
a body would be slow and as we enter the Third Age, we find a Sauron who uses his servants
to fight his battles, as he seeks to isolate and destroy those who would oppose him. Concerned about the idea of Sauron regaining
his power, the Valar send five Maiar to Middle-earth - the wizards - who were tasked with aiding
the Free Peoples against the dark lord. While his defeat against the Last Alliance
would release his subjects like many of the Easterlings from his direct rule, the lands
would fall into chaos and civil war. No doubt Sauron hiding in the East didnt help
the situation. Around 1050 TA, a shadow comes to the forest
of Greenwood. It would settle at the former capital of the
elves of Greenwood called Amon Lanc. With this dark presence dwelling in Amon Lanc,
it would come to be known as the hill of sorcery - Dol Guldur, and this entity would be known
as the Necromancer. For 250 years, Sauron’s power and presence
would grow. Not only does this evil grow in the south
of Mirkwood, but it leads other signs of growing evil throughout Middle-earth. The Orcs of the Misty Mountains become more
bold against their enemies. The dragons of the North attack the dwarves,
likely consuming many of the dwarven rings of power during this time. The Nazgul return, with the Witch-King founding
the kingdom of Angmar. (1300 TA) In 1635, a Great Plague inflicts much of Middle-earth. It is described as a pestilence brought by
an evil wind from the east. This plague, likely brought about by Sauron
himself, devastates the areas of Rhovanion, Gondor, Rhun, and southern Eriador. Due to the enormous loss of life, Gondor is
forced to retreat inward, abandoning the fortresses which guarded Mordor, thus opening the door
for the Nazgul to return. At this time, the Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor
realize that the enemies they are facing are being coordinated by a single force and agree
to work together. However, as we’ve covered in our Angmar
Wars video, the Kingdom of Arnor would fall into ruin and decay at the hands of the Witch-King. While Angmar would be destroyed by a combined
force of elves and Gondorians in 1975, Arnor, now kingless and decimated, is abandoned - it’s
legacy carried on only in its ancient monuments, the rangers of the north, and the line of
Isildur. Five years later, a balrog is awakened in
Moria, leading to the death of king Durin VI and the dwarves exile from Khazad-dum. After being driven out of Eriador, the Lord
of the Nazgul returns to Mordor and in 2050, he causes the disappearance and likely death
of the Last King of Gondor. (2060) At this point, everything has gone
pretty well for Sauron. Arnor is no more, dragons and balrogs have
weakened the dwarves, and Gondor now has no king. However, Sauron’s power has grown to a point
that the Wise take notice and in 2063 Gandalf enters the fortress of Dol Guldur. Still appearing as a mysterious shadow, and
not ready to declare himself openly, Sauron flees before Gandalf can determine his true
identity. As he is wont to do, he returns to the East,
once again corrupting the Easterlings from within, playing on old allegiances not only
to himself, but to Morgoth. For nearly 400 years, Sauron would work in
the East, building alliances for his eventual war. This period is known as the watchful peace. The shadow in Mirkwood is lessened, with only
the second in command of the Nazgul - Khamul the Easterling - stationed in Dol Guldur. The other 8 remain in Minas Morgul, preparing
for their master’s return. In 2460, he would indeed return to Middle-earth
- now with an army awaiting his command in the East. He returns to Dol Guldur. Three years later, the One Ring is found by
one of the Stoor Hobbits in the Anduin River, not far away. At this point, sensing the danger growing
once again, the wise form the White Council, though for centuries, Saruman as its leader
would prevent the council from moving against the presence in Dol Guldur. At this time, Sauron’s goals are simple
- gather as many Rings of Power as he can - including the One Ring, and destroy the
line of Isildur - which he had not forgotten, and still harbored a deep hatred for. Once again, we see Sauron’s influence as
evil forces begin to move throughout Middle-earth. In the south,Uruk-hai come from Mordor and
briefly take control of Ithilien from Gondor. Five years later, the orcs of the Misty Mountains
have made themselves strongholds within the mountains to prevent passage from the east
to the west. With Moria having been abandoned by the dwarves
due to the balrog centuries earlier, Sauron sends orcs and trolls to live in the former
dwarven realm. Around this time, a clan of Easterlings under
the sway of Sauron amasses east of Mirkwood and begins raiding the areas of the forest
and the vales of Anduin. This force, known as the Balchoth, attacks
the Gondorian realms of Calenardhon in 2510. A group of men living in the north of Middle-earth
would ride to Gondor’s aid, however. As the Eotheod make their way south, it is
likely Sauron would have moved against them in some way, but Galadriel sends out a mist
to cover their passing by Dol Guldur. They come to the Battle of the Field of Celebrant
where the Balchoth are defeated. As a reward, they are given the lands of Calenardhon,
which becomes known as the kingdom of Rohan. While this development is not ideal for Sauron,
his plans march on. In 2845, Sauron’s forces capture King Thrain
II, the father of Thorin Oakenshield. The dwarf is imprisoned in Dol Guldur, and
Sauron claims one of the coveted rings of power from him. Five years later, Gandalf makes his way to
Dol Guldur, seeking to investigate the Necromancer once again. He meets the dying dwarf and his long thought
fear is confirmed - the Necromancer is Sauron. Despite Gandalf’s urging, Saruman once again
overrules him and the White Council does not move against Sauron. The wizard hopes that as Sauron’s power
grows, he will be able to decipher where Sauron is searching for the One Ring. In time, Sauron learns of Isildur’s death
at the Gladden Fields and his servants begin searching the area. In the south, agents of Sauron influence the
Haradrim to attack Gondor, while the Uruk-hai once again attack the lands of Ithilien - weakening
one of Sauron’s most hated enemies. At this point, Sauron is finding success in
both the north and the south. Gondor is in conflict with Mordor and Harad,
the orcs of the Misty Mountains and Gundabad have created strongholds dividing east from
west, all the while Sauron’s own power grows in Dol Guldur. Gandalf sees these pieces of the board moving
but also sees an even more terrible threat - the dragon Smaug now controls Erebor and
if he were to ally with Sauron, the north of Middle-earth - including Rivendell and
Lorien - would surely fall. At which point, Sauron could crush Gondor
and Rohan between his northern and southern forces. This threat leads Gandalf to implement a plan
to move against both Smaug and Sauron simultaneously. In a stroke of fortune, Saurman in 2939 discovers
that Sauron has been searching the Gladden Fields for the One Ring, and finally concedes
to attack Dol Guldur. As Smaug is slain by Bard the Bowman, the
White Council drives Sauron from Dol Guldur. Not only is Sauron driven from Mirkwood, but
the armies of orcs from Gundabad and the Misty Mountains are decimated in the Battle of the
Five Armies. The dwarves reclaim Erebor, Dale flourishes
under King Bard, and Sauron’s plans for his northern campaign are ruined. A year later, Sauron returns to Mordor and
from 2951-2953, the fortress of Barad-dur is rebuilt. Sauron is now ready to move against Middle-earth
and declares himself openly once more. Through Sauron, a phenomenon known as the
Shadow of Mordor emanates from the lands, causing despair and sickness among the Gondorians. It is this shadow that would claim the life
of Finduilas - the wife of Denethor and mother of Boromir and Faramir in 2988. Rather than being directly involved in the
coming war himself, Sauron would largely act through devices like this shadow, his servants
or through one of the palantiri. This palantir, taken from the former Minas
Ithil when the Nazgul conquered it, allows Sauron to not only communicate with other
seeing stones, but with his great power glimpse places throughout the world. In the aftermath of his wife’s death, Denethor
begins using the Anor-stone. Seeing this, Sauron attempts to bend the Anor-stone
to his will, but is unsuccessful. Denethor’s will is too strong to be conquered
in this way, though this struggle would wear on him and cause him to lose hope. Around 3000, Saruman begins using the Orthanc-stone. Once again, Sauron attempts to bend the user
to his will, but this time is successful. Saruman goes from being one of his biggest
threats, to one that would aid him greatly during the coming war - though, as we will
see, he remains a threat for treachery. Nine years later, Gollum makes his way to
Mordor in his pursuit of Bilbo and of news regarding the One Ring. He is captured by Sauron’s forces, interrogated,
and tortured for the following 8 years, before he is finally released in January 3017. It is worth noting at this point a major misconception
regarding Sauron’s form. In the Peter Jackson films, Sauron is famously
a giant lidless eye of flame. However, in truth, Sauron at this time, and
likely even earlier in Dol Guldur, had a physical form. Gollum would later tell Sam and Frodo, “Yes,
he has only four fingers on the Black Hand, but they are enough.” So this begs the question - what is the Eye
of Sauron that is mentioned in the books. While Sauron no doubt had physical eyes - as
Frodo describes a piercing eye rimmed with fire at the mirror of Galadriel and on the
slopes of Mount Doom, it is not that his entire being is a giant eye. Rather, the Eye of Sauron is most notably
the symbol which his forces display on their weaponry, standing for his unrelenting vigilance
and perception toward his enemies, which is no doubt aided with his use of the palantir. Now that we’ve covered his form, let’s
get back to Sauron’s actions. After Gollum is released in 3017, he is captured
by Aragorn and taken to the Elves of Mirkwood. Sauron, who had hoped Gollum’s release would
lead to The One Ring being revealed to him, is concerned by this development. On June 20, 3018, he sends his forces to attack
Osgiliath, not only to test Gondor’s strength, but to cover his sending out of the Nazgul
to search for the ring. The nazgul’s secrecy is a success, but the
strength of Gondor is greater than Sauron had hoped. His forces are driven back to Mordor, where
he spends the following months amassing his army in preparation for a massive assault
on Gondor. On this same day, in the north, he sends a
group of orcs from Dol Guldur to attack Mirkwood, allowing Gollum to escape. By September 3018, Sauron has learned that
Boromir, son of the Steward has left Minas Tirith, that Gandalf has been captured by
Saruman, and that Saruman has been working against him by thwarting Sauron’s spies. He sends messengers to the Nazgul, ordering
them to make haste for Isengard. The Ringwraiths would discover enough clues
to lead them to the Shire, and they would pursue the ringbearer to the borders of Rivendell. Soon after, Sauron learns that Aragorn, the
heir of Isildur has joined the Fellowship of the Ring. This leads Sauron to proceed at a quicker
pace than intended with readying his forces. When Pippin and Aragorn look into the Orthanc-stone
following Saruman’s defeat at Helm’s Deep, Sauron incorrectly assumes that Aragorn now
possesses the One Ring. Once again rushing to act, he sends the Witch-King
and a great army to Minas Tirith. Around the same time of the Battle of Pelennor
Fields, he sends a large group of Easterlings to attack the northern realm of Dale. The Battle of Dale and the resulting siege,
would begin on March 14, and would last until the 27th - two days after the ring is destroyed,
when the forces of Sauron lose hope and are driven out by the armies of the dwarves and
men. As we know, in the south, things wouldn’t
go much better for Sauron. His army is defeated at Pelennor Fields and
his greatest servant is killed by Merry and Eowyn. Despite this defeat, he has managed to weaken
the armies of Gondor and Rohan while he maintains enough armies in Mordor to defeat them. However, Gandalf once again forces Sauron
into hasty action. The wizard advises Aragorn, Eomer, and the
lords of the west to march on Mordor itself. As this smaller army of free peoples marches
to the Black Gate, Sauron’s piercing gaze concentrates on the heir of Isildur rather
than on his own lands, where two hobbits draw closer and closer to Mount Doom. As Sauron is poised to wipe out the army of
men, and finally end the line of Isildur, Frodo puts on the One Ring. In this moment, Sauron sees the hobbit and
his location and realizes he has been tricked. He orders the remaining Nazgul to make all
haste to the mountain. However, Gollum would intervene and in his
celebration at taking the ring back from Frodo, slips and falls into the fires below. Thus, Sauron’s power is unmade. His physical form is destroyed. His spirit rises above the lands of Mordor
like a black cloud, but in that moment, a powerful wind from the West blows the cloud
away. Sauron, now permanently and completely defeated,
could do nothing but follow his former master into the Timeless Void, never to rise again. As always, I want to say a huge thank you
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