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Gondor was the prominent kingdom of Men in Middle-earth, bordered by Rohan to the north, Harad to the south, the cape of Andrast and the Sea to the west, and Mordor to the east. Its first capital was Osgiliath, moved to Minas Tirith in TA 1640. The city of Minas Tirith remained the capital of Gondor for the rest of the Third Age and into years of the Fourth Age; other major fortresses include Dol Amroth in Belfalas and Osgiliath, which was a city on the Anduin.
Gondor was founded by the brothers Isildur and Anárion, exiles from Númenor. Gondor was an allied kingdom with Arnor, whose line of king chieftains came from Isildur, while the Line of the Kings of Gondor was from Anárion. Gondor was at the height of its power in its early years due to the ships and the military might that its armies possessed. However, continued attacks by allies of Sauron, civil war, and a devastating plague caused it to gradually decline over the course of the Third Age until Sauron's final defeat and the crowning of Aragorn II Elessar. Following that time the power of Gondor once again expanded, until the former lands of Arnor were brought under the banner of the Reunited Kingdom.
In all, there were thirty-one kings of Gondor after Anárion, who was slain before Barad-dûr at the Siege of Barad-dûr.
Early History[]
Before the Downfall of Númenor, the region that would become Gondor was home to many Númenórean colonists, who either mingled with the indigenous Middle Men if they were friendly, or dispersed them into Ras Morthil, Dunland, and Drúadan Forest. The land on which Gondor was founded was more fertile than the more northerly areas of Middle-earth, and therefore it already had a fairly large population and settlements, including a well-established haven, Pelargir[3] founded by the Faithful Númenóreans in the year 2350 of the Second Age. The refugees from Númenor led by Isildur and Anárion were given a warm reception upon their arrival by those Númenórean colonists.
History[]
The second of the two great nations of Men founded in Middle-earth by Elendil after the Downfall of Númenor, the other being Arnor in the north. Gondor was at first ruled jointly by Elendil's sons Isildur and Anárion. Both Elendil and Anárion were lost in the Siege of Barad-dûr, and his brother Isildur soon afterwards in the Disaster of the Gladden Fields, and so the Kingship of Gondor fell on Anárion's son Meneldil. Thus, the Kings of Gondor were descendants of Anárion through many generations until the time of Eärnur.
When Eärnur was lost in Minas Morgul in III 2050, the rule of Gondor was taken up by the King's Steward, Mardil Voronwë; the death of Eärnur was not certain, and so Mardil and the Stewards who followed him pledged to rule 'until the King comes back'. Unlikely though this seemed, it happened almost a thousand years later in III 3019 when Aragorn II Elessar, descendant by right line of Isildur, elder brother of Anárion, reclaimed the throne of Gondor.
Armies[]
Second Age[]
Dunedain soldiers
The soldiers of Gondor were renowned during the Second Age for their skill and valour. Training men of Gondor during the Second Age instilled within their soldiers a martial spirit and ardor, goading them to fight to the death against the hordes of Mordor, Rhûn, and Harad. Every man was physically imposing: being very tall at over six feet, very broad, and very strong as well. Every single soldier was in peak fighting condition and ready to fight against Sauron's hordes (especially during the War of the Last Alliance). The three major weapons they used were spears, longswords, and longbows. They also knew how to form cohesive box-formations, which were sturdy enough for both offensive and defensive purposes. The soldiers wore heavy plate armour and utilised large shields made out of multi-layered wood and edged in metal for reinforcement.
Third Age[]
Army of Gondor
Gondor's armies prevented Mordor and its allies from overwhelming the rest of Middle-earth. Gondor was in a very crucial position, in order to guard Middle Earth and because of Gondor's proximity to Mordor, its military forces had to be proficiently trained and vigilantly on guard at all times. Because of this, they were arguably the strongest country that opposed Sauron. During the Third Age, most of Minas Tirith's armies were trained and drilled to fight in tight infantry formations, supported by archers and cavalry. Their armaments consisted of a chainmail undercoat with either a black tabard or plate armor over it. Their standard weapons were long spears, longswords, and longbows, complimented by tower shields.