War of the Elves and Sauron

Previous war: War of Wrath
Next war: War of the Last Alliance
War of the Elves and Sauron
Beginning: S.A. 1693	End: S.A. 1701
Place: Throughout Eriador, but centred on the land of Eregion
Outcome: Victory for the Elves and allies Eregion destroyed Sauron defeated and driven from Eriador Founding of Imladris
Major battles: Sack of Eregion, First Siege of Imladris, Battle of the Gwathló
Combatants
Elves of Eregion Elves of Lindon Elves of Lórinand Númenóreans Dwarves of Khazad-dûm	Forces of Sauron
Commanders
Gil-galad Celebrimbor † Elrond Celeborn Amroth Minastir Ciryatur Durin III	Sauron

The War of the Elves and Sauron, also known as the first war with Sauron,^:270 was a great war fought in the Second Age between the forces of Sauron and the Elves in Eriador and their allies.

Background

During the Second Age, Sauron planned to corrupt the Elves and put them under his dominion. In his guise as Annatar, he attempted to seduce the Eldar. Both Gil-galad and Elrond rejected him from Lindon, but the Smiths of Eregion were won over. Sauron instructed the Elves of Eregion in the making of the Rings of Power, including aiding the forging of the Nine and the Seven. Sauron returned to Mordor and secretly constructed the One Ring to enslave the bearers of the other Rings. Unbeknownst to him, the Elves had made Three Rings of their own, so that when Sauron took up his own Ring, they understood his intentions and his centuries of planning came to nothing.

History

Prelude

What he could not control by subtlety and deception, Sauron resolved to destroy by force. He obtained the allegiance of Men that lived in lands that were adjacent to Mordor, including in regions of the White Mountains and in Calenardhon. The Númenóreans who occupied the Ethir Anduin and the coasts of Lebennin discovered his activities and informed Gil-galad. However, Sauron did not allow the tribes of eastern Men to come in sight of the Númenóreans or of Men of good will that lived in Eriador, Calenardhon, the Vales of Anduin, Greenwood the Great or in the plains between that wood and Mordor, to avoid the risk that his gathering of armies in the east would be discovered. Sauron gathered and trained his armies for approximately ninety years before he felt ready to attack. He was unable to gather as many troops as he hoped for, because powerful enemies in the East and South opposed his efforts. Among those enemies were the two wizards Morinehtar and Rómestámo. Their task was to stir up rebellion and to cause dissension and disarray in the East. Otherwise the forces of the East would have outnumbered those of the West in the Second Age and in the Third Age. In S.A. 1695 Sauron's vast armies passed through Calenardhon, invaded Eriador through the Gap of Rohan, and turned north to attack Eregion. As a result of the Númenóreans having cut down many of the trees of Minhiriath and Enedwaith, the people inhabiting these lands welcomed Sauron's conquest and let him pass. Sauron left a force at Tharbad, and his armies marched on to Eregion

Destruction of Eregion

Celebrimbor by Kimberly

Celeborn led a force from Eregion, and defeated the first wave of Sauron's army. However, he could not hold them off indefinitely. Celeborn's force was overwhelmed and driven back to Ost-in-Edhil When news of the invasion reached Gil-galad, he sent a force commanded by Elrond from Lindon to reinforce Eregion, and sent word to Númenor for aid. Elrond's forces were held back by Sauron's greater host and Eregion was devastated. In S.A. 1697, Ost-in-Edhil fell, with Celebrimbor himself leading a last desperate defence on the steps of the House of the Mírdain. He was taken captive by the Orcs and Sauron demanded that the Rings of Power be turned over to him, as well as the Three Rings. Celebrimbor yielded the Nine Rings and later even the Seven Rings, but was able to hide the identities of those who bore the Three. Later Celebrimbor was shot through with Orc-arrows, and by some accounts, Sauron used Celebrimbor's body as a banner as he turned to face Elrond's host.

Founding of Imladris

Elrond's force was far smaller than Sauron's army, and was at risk of being overrun when the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the Elves of Lóriand led by Amroth attacked Sauron's rear guard. Thus, the beleaguered Elrond was able save many of the Elves of Eregion by escaping into the north and founding the stronghold of Imladris. Once the Dwarves returned to Khazad-dûm, the Doors of Durin were shut and remained so until the Fellowship of the Ring came there thousands of years later.

Sauron gathered up the Rings of Power that remained, except for the Three Rings, which had been sent far from Eregion at the beginning of the war, and laid waste the land of Eregion, bringing an end to its people. The surviving Elves of Eregion seem to have scattered, as there are various accounts of their fates. Some fled northward to join Elrond and settled at Imladris. They were joined there by others of their kind who had escaped into the Wild, and only later found their way to safety. Many of these people seem to have later abandoned Middle-earth and sailed into the West. Other survivors escaped into Khazad-dûm and were granted passage by their friends the Dwarves, coming eventually through the Mountains to the woodlands that would long afterwards be called Lothlórien.

Sauron Routed

Over the next six years, Sauron's armies overran Eriador and moved west, aiming to take Lindon and claim one or more of the Three Rings. By S.A. 1699, Sauron has completely overrun Eriador and all its lands, save for Imladris and Lindon. However, Imladris was under siege and Gil-galad was barely holding the Line of Lhûn and the Mithlond. Sauron had summoned more forces coming from the South East, in the hopes of obtaining the Grey Havens. There, just as Sauron's victory looked secure, a fleet appeared in the north, carrying the forces of Númenor sent by Tar-Minastir, the heir of Queen Tar-Telperiën. The Númenóreans, led by Ciryatur, forced Sauron's armies to retreat south-east with heavy losses. Sauron was defeated again at Sarn Ford, and was pushed out of Eriador, where he burned the forests of Minhiriath and Enedwaith. He had only a small fraction of his army remaining, although he was eventually reinforced by the Orcs he had garrisoned at Tharbad early in the campaign. However, Ciryatur had sent a portion of the Númenórean army to Lond Daer, and Sauron found himself attacked from in front and behind in the Battle of the Gwathló, from which he barely escaped. An ensuing battle in eastern Calenardhon stripped Sauron of all but a tiny bodyguard, with which he retreated into Mordor.

Aftermath

After Sauron's defeat, the White Council was held. The exact members are unknown, but this Council was not composed of later members such as the Istari, but likely of Elf-lords and Captains of Men. Here it was decided that Imladris should become the new Elvish stronghold in eastern Eriador, rather than in Eregion and Ost-in-Edhil. In recognition of his efforts, Gil-galad secretly bestowed the ring Vilya upon Elrond at this time and made him his vice-regent in Eriador.

The might of Númenor was first revealed to Middle-earth, and the first signs of the Shadow upon Westernesse had appeared. Sauron cursed and vowed vengeance upon the Númenóreans, whom he now hated.