The Encyclopedia of Arda - Siege of Barad-dûr (original) (raw)

Dates Location Barad-dûr, in the northwest of Mordor Pronunciation Barad-dûr is pronounced 'ba'rad doorr' (the final 'r' should be pronounced - 'rr' is used here to emphasise this) Other names Probably also known as the Great Siege (though this term is ambiguous) Indexes: Alphabetical: B Alphabetical: S Events About this entry: Updated 10 May 2010 This entry is complete Prelude to the victory of the Last Alliance When the Last Alliance marched on Mordor in the closing years of the Second Age, they won a great victory at the Battle of Dagorlad, forcing Sauron back into his Dark Tower. The armies of Gil-galad and Elendil then passed into Gorgoroth and besieged Barad-dûr itself, seeking to finally rid themselves of the threat of the Dark Lord. The Siege of Barad-dûr was set in II 3434, and occupied the last seven years of the Second Age. Though Sauron was confined within his tower, he was not without power to harm his besiegers, and they endured barrages of deadly missiles, as well as regular sorties by the besieged forces. They took many casualties in these years, including Elendil's second son Anárion. At last Sauron sought to lift the Siege by offering combat against the leaders of the opposing armies. On the slopes of Mount Doom, he fought with Gil-galad and Elendil, and slew both of them, but Sauron himself was destroyed in that combat, and his spirit passed away. At that time Elendil's surviving son Isildur took the One Ring from Sauron's hand, an act that would have grave consequences in the distant future. With Sauron's body destroyed, the Last Alliance captured Barad-dûr and razed it to the ground (though its foundations, made through the power of the Ring, could not be destroyed). After that time, Mordor was deserted for many centuries; the land was so filled with corruption and dread that none could bear to dwell there, but the Gondorians ringed it with castles and guard-towers to hold it against any return of Sauron's followers. Those defences held long into the Third Age, but at last they were deserted, setting the scene for Sauron's ultimate return and the War of the Ring that brought the Third Age to a close, nearly three thousand years after the victorious Siege of Barad-dûr. See also... Anárion, Arnor, Dark Lord, Dead Tree, Downfall of Barad-dûr, Elendil, Elves of Lindon, Fall of Sauron, Gondor, Great Battle, Great Siege, High King, High King of the Noldor, House of Elendil, House of Fingolfin, [See the full list...]Isildur, Line of Anárion, Lord of Barad-dûr, Lord of Rivendell, Lord of the Black Land, Lord of the Dark Tower, Mordor, Narsil, Ring-bearers, Southern Line, ‘The Fall of Gil-galad’, War of the Last Alliance Indexes: Alphabetical: B Alphabetical: S Events About this entry: Updated 10 May 2010 This entry is complete For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2000, 2010. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.Take the FREE myDISCprofile personality test to discover your core personality and your ideal job.