I’ve always wondered what Ithilien must have looked like when it was full of people. The changing political landscape would have an economic impact on Ithilien, and that in turn would lead to population changes.
The first people to inhabit the region would have been Nandor. It’s entirely possible that they all left in the First Age, joining Denethor’s migration to Beleriand. But it may also be that some clans remained behind. There could have been one, two, or more small Elven realms or tribes in the region as late as the War of the Elves and Sauron. At that time matters would have changed.
Most likely the Elves would not have migrated south of Emyn Arnen. We don’t know much about the geography of South Ithilien but the region doesn’t seem to invite habitation by Elves. Cair Andros would be the easiest place for the Elves to cross the river and visit such of their relatives as remained in Anorien, Calenardhon, and other areas close by. In fact, given the geography of the land to the north of Ithilien, it may be that any early Elves would have arrived there by passing through Calenardhon and Anorien and crossing the river at Cair Andros.
When Sauron launched his war against the Elves he sent armies north to Greenwood the Great and the adjoining lands, and across Anduin to Calenardhon. He may have secured Cair Andros, at least, as a precaution against any possible attacks from Anorien and the lands beyond the Ered Nimrais. It does appear, based on his line of retreat several years later, that Sauron used the Undeeps as a crossing point. The lands between Cair Andros and Emyn Arnen would have been ideal for an Elven realm founded by the Sindar, so it seems unlikely Sauron would have ignored the region. He may have sent an army rampaging through the area as part of his overall strategy.
Any surviving Elves would have fled west across the river. They could have reached Edhellond and used its ships to sail over Sea to Valinor. Although the Silvan realms of the north could field armies, the real military power of the Elves lay with Gil-galad’s kingdom and Eregion. The Eldar were the warriors and scholars of Elvendom, and in many ways the war might have been perceived as an Eldarin problem.
After the war, the southern Vales of Anduin seem to have been ignored by Sauron. Men settled in the region and there must have been many fishing villages along the river banks. The Gwathuirim, who had crossed Anduin more than a thousand years before, might have expanded eastward from the mountains. But it’s entirely possible an unrelated people settled there, perhaps stirred up by Sauron’s wars in the east.
Life along the Anduin would have to be inviting, since the Dunedain began establishing colonies there. It’s almost certain that Pelargir (Royal Garth of Ships, founded S.A. 2350) was built as a means of establishing Numenorean power in the area. Sauron never seems to have controlled any fleets in the Second Age, so it doesn’t seem likely Pelargir was used as a base of operations to stop piracy or gain control over the sea lanes. The only rivals for seaborne traffic as far as the Numenoreans were concerned, would have been the Elves.
The Numenoreans may have begun settling along the Anduin before Pelargir was built. Umbar had been founded in 2280, so the Numenoreans must have been spreading steadily up the coast. Undoutbedly, Pelargir ensured there would be few if any wars along the southern Anduin. So Numenorean traders and colonists would have been able to go just about anywhere they pleased at least as far as Emyn Arnen. A few wars and feuds may have developed in the mountains, where the wild Gwathuirim remained loyal to Sauron for a long time.
In 3319 Isildur and Anarion arrived at the Mouths of Anduin. The next year, Elendil and his sons established the Realms-in-Exile, Arnor and Gondor. The people of Pelargir had to be instrumental in establishing Gondor. They would have had the military strength to establish a new kingdom, although the Dunedain throughout Anorien, Ithilien, Belfalas, Lebennin, and Calenardhon may have welcomed the family of the Lords of Andunie. Isildur’s treaty with the King of the Mountains implies there were rival lords to contend with. The Dunedain had to find the means of placating them, or defending against them. “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age” says that Minas Anor was “a shield against the wild men of the dales”.
Osgiliath was probably the first city Isildur and Anarion built. The Peoples of Middle-earth says that Isildur’s third son was born in Minas Ithil, whereas Isildur’s second son is merely listed as “born in Gondor”. By establishing the great bridge and fortress between Emyn Arnen and Mindolluin Isildur and Anarion were able to extend their influence and resources to both the east and west. “Of the Rings of Power” says that Isildur built Minas Ithil “as a threat to Mordor”, which must have remained strong despite Sauron’s absence. Ar-Pharazon had never entered Mordor, so its armies and slaves would have been intact.
Minas Anor and Minas Ithil would have been little more than colonies in the first years, but their rise in importance as the secondary cities of the kings implies they must have been constantly reinforced by new settlers. The colonists must have come from Pelargir, Lebennin, and Belfalas. Isildur and Anarion’s handful of ships could not have brought enough people from Numenor to populate three cities, let alone the fortresses which were eventually established in Calenardhon at Orthanc and Aglarond. It may be that many of the Faithful who fled Numenor in its last years had settled near Pelargir and were seeking new lands anyway.
The presence of two cities on Ithilien’s borders strongly implies there were many more people living in the countryside. The people in the cities had to eat, and most of the food probably came from farms and plantations. These resources most likely accumulated along the roads that the Dunedain built throughout Ithilien, only two of which are mentioned in the Third Age the highway leading from Osgiliath to Minas Ithil and the north-south road which skirted the Ephel Duath.
The base of Ithilien’s population had to be the farmers. There would have been Dunedain, Men of mixed blood, and men not of Dunadan extraction at all. Most of the farms probably lay in South Ithilien, which appears to have been less densely wooded than northern Ithilien. A few hardy souls probably migrated north, but the expansion must have followed the strategic placements of the cities and fortresses. Aglarond and Orthanc appear to have been used to keep Gwathuirim in Enedwaith from harrassing the Calenardhon colonists, but they also ensured that Gondor controlled the gap between the Ered Hithui and the Ered Nimrais.
When Sauron revealed he had returned to life by attacking Gondor, he moved first against Minas Ithil. Although this was Isildur’s home city, the strategic reason for taking Minas Ithil was to remove a base of operations which could be used against Mordor. Despite the fact that Minas Ithil fell quickly to the first assault, it should be regarded as a city with an army. Isildur simply didn’t expect Sauron to come raging out of Mordor. He had no reason to, since Sauron had gone down with Numenor. Maiar normally didn’t come back to life that way. But Minas Ithil was built to be a threat to Mordor, and it was clearly perceived as one. So Sauron probably brought overwhelming force against the city.
But the question follows of why Sauron wasn’t able to take Osgiliath. If he had such overwhelming strength when he attacked Minas Ithil, what happened? Most likely, Isildur escaped with more than just his family. And word probably reached Osgiliath that something was wrong before Isildur arrived. Anarion could have brought reinforcements from Minas Anor, and help would still have been available in Pelargir. Also, a lot of people in central Ithilien were probably evacuated to Emyn Arnen and Osgiliath. Forewarned, better manned, and resupplied from the rear and by the river, Osgiliath would have been a formidable barrier to Sauron’s invasion.
But apparently, Isildur and Anarion lacked the manpower to take back what they had lost. Or else Isildur understood that Sauron posed a greater threat than the Dunedain had ever imagined. So he left Gondor and went north, leaving Anarion to keep the kingdom safe. More-than-likely, Sauron ran amok in Ithilien for a few years. It would not be until he learned of the marshalling of forces in the north that he would begin to shift resources to the Brown Lands.
There in the north, Sauron prepared for the coming assault. He may have realized that he had underestimated the power of the Dunedain, or else his own ability to wage war. After his initial assault on Gondor, he went on the defensive. Anarion was eventually able to retake Minas Ithil, perhaps when Gil-galad and Elendil first came out of the north. Then Sauron’s attention would have been focused on the battle of the Dagorlad. Anarion probably also had a larger army by that time, as he should have spent several years building up his forces, just as Gil-galad and Elendil had. Sauron attacked Gondor in 3429, Gil-galad and Elendil formed the Last Alliance in 3430, they marched to Imladris in 3431, and the Battle of Dagorlad occurred in 3434. Anarion had five years to recruit, train, and equip new soldiers.
But in that five years, did he accomplish anything, or did he only just barely match the strength of Sauron’s increasing forces? “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age” says there were two Numenorean lords, Herumor and Fuinur, who were allied with Sauron and dwelt close to Gondor. These two could have brought new forces to Sauron’s aid and kept Anarion distracted. Worse, they could have ravaged South Ithilien. Anarion might have been able to drive Sauron’s army back to the mountains only to find that he had to deal with new foes attacking Emyn Arnen.
When the Last Alliance proved victorious upon the Dagorlad, Gil-galad and Elendil seem to have paused to regroup. They had suffered heavy casualties in the battle (Amdir, King of Lothlorien, had been killed along with many of his warriors in the marshes). It was probably at this time that Isildur sent his sons Ciryon and Aratan to retake or reinhabit Minas Ithil. By this point the threat to Ithilien had either been removed, or greatly diminished. Ciryon and his brother remained at Minas Ithil to ensure that Sauron didn’t escape over the mountains. The decision to keep them in the city seems to imply that the lands to the south were still friendly to Sauron, or in the hands of Sauron’s allies.
Once Barad-dur came under siege, Ithilien may have been reoccupied, if its farms were usable and there were sufficient men to work them. The great armies of the alliance would have needed food, and the closer to the war the food could be grown the better. Though the demands of the war effort lasted only a few years, Gondor built and maintained fortresses throughout the Ephel Duath, and perhaps other parts of Gondor. These garrisons would also have required supplies, and Ithilien most likely benefitted from the expense. The region must have become a mecca for people seeking new land to break. At least, the first few centuries of the Third Age must have been a sort of boom time for Ithilien.
But the invasions of the Easterlings probably initiated a period of reversal in Ithilien’s fortunes. That is, with a new threat coming around the mountains, northern Ithilien (at least) would not have attracted many new settlers. The region was of strategic importance to Gondor because the forts of northern Mordor would be at risk if they were cut off from Ithilien. They could still be resupplied through Mordor itself, but such a journey might prove long and dangerous. Tarostar (Romendacil I, 492-541) seems to have fought a largely defensive war against the various Easterling tribes which attacked Gondor. His son Turambar (541-667) went on the offensive, however, and took a great deal of territory to the east. Ithilien was secured against invasion and probably served as a staging area for Turambar’s conquests.
Turambar’s eastern campaigns don’t seem to have resulted in any migration to the east. It seems he was the king who first made contact with the Northmen and invited them to settle in the lands between Rhovanion and Mordor. Ithilien seems to have been forgotten from this time forward. The Kings of Gondor turned their attention elsewhere, and when Tarannon Falastur began conquering lands to the west and north of Gondor, colonization most likely followed his armies.
Ithilien became important again when Eldacar returned from exile in 1447 to confront Castamir the Usurper. Eldacar brought an army of Northmen to Gondor. People from Calenardhon, Anorien, and Ithilien joined Eldacar and helped him win back his throne. Although there must have been Northmen living in Ithilien, its people were probably just sick and tired of Castamir, who was more popular with the people from the coastlands. He paid little or no attention to the needs of the inland areas, and even decided to move his seat to Pelargir so he could be close to the fleet.
Castamir’s reign was only the beginning of the decline in Ithilien’s fortunes. The battle at the Crossings of Erui, in which Eldacar defeated Castamir, cost a great many lives. Although Ithilien might have recovered its former wealth and influence, in the following generations South Ithilien and Harondor were threatened by Umbar, where Castamir’s followers fled after his death. And in 1636, the Great Plague swept out of the east and weakened the entire kingdom. Many people fled to Ithilien to escape the plague and they refused to return to Osgiliath afterward. Their intransigence, coupled with the abandonment of the fortresses in Mordor, ensured that Ithilien would suffer further decline. Minas Ithil and perhaps Emyn Arnen would have remained important to Ithilien, but there would be less demand for its goods and services.
As evil creatures began to repopulate Mordor, Ithilien would become more of a border territory. The wars with the Wainriders in the 1800s pushed Gondor’s frontier back to North Ithilien as well, and Ithilien was even briefly invaded in 1944. Over the course of about 500 years, Ithilien was transformed from a major hub in Gondor’s empire to a last line of defense. The loss of Minas Ithil to the Lord of the Nazgul in 2043 only served to cement Ithilien’s new status as border region.
The next four hundred years saw no change in the status quo. Ithilien probably flourished, after a fashion. That is, it didn’t necessarily attract colonization, but its people were untroubled. Only when the Watchful Peace ended and Sauron returned to Dol Guldur, did things start to get hairy again. The Uruks emerged from Mordor and began attacking Ithilien. People began to leave in droves, and life must have become very harsh for those who chose to stay behind. It’s hard to imagine the nobles of Gondor dancing in the woods or celebrating ancient victories there. Men probably traveled abroad in armed groups, and families probably drew together in fortified dwellings. The people must have wanted to stay purely for the love of the land, and perhaps out of pride. They would not be driven from their homes by Orcs.
In the 29th century, Turin, Ruling Steward of Gondor, gave Ithilien’s people some relief. He fortified Cair Andros and began establishing secret refuges throughout the land. The Rangers of Ithilien were probably formed in this time. But Gondor was attacked from the south, and Turin was forced to call upon Rohan for aid. Although Turin won the war, his power seems to have been diminished. In 2901, nearly all of Ithilien’s people fled across Anduin, as the Uruks increased their attacks. In 2951, Sauron returned to Mordor and openly declared himself its lord. In 2954, Orodruin erupted and the last of Ithilien’s people realized that war wouldn’t be long in following. They fled across the river, and Ithilien was left to the Orcs and Rangers to fight over.
Gondor never gave up control over Ithilien the way it had abandoned its eastern territories. Denethor II maintained the Rangers and asserted Gondor’s presence there. But the region became more a symbol of the resistance against Sauron than anything else. It no longer represented a frontier of opportunity, or the power of the Kings of Gondor. A land which must have once been filled with towns, farms, and villages, was reduced to an empty and disputed region. Gondor claimed it, but couldn’t prevent Sauron from using Ithilien as a roadway to the Morannon.
Ironically, the fortresses which Ithilien had once supported against Sauron’s return, were themselves turned to Sauron’s purposes. But though Sauron was able to exploit Ithilien strategically, he was never able to benefit from it economically. Economics in Middle-earth were simple, and really didn’t have much to do with the grand strategies. No one made a grab for the Mithril vein of Khazad-dum or the raw gems of Erebor. But a people had to sustain themselves, or be sustained. Sauron was unable to colonize Ithilien or use it as a base of operations. When the War of the Ring began, Mordor’s invasion was launched from Minas Morgul (formerly Minas Ithil). Everything the army required had to be brought with it, even the boats and rafts which had long been prepared in secret.
Much like the scribblings of the Orcs on the head of the fallen statue that Frodo and Sam beheld, the Orcs’ depredations in Ithilien were mostly superficial. The Rangers of Ithilien, and the native defense forces the earlier inhabitants of Ithilien had maintained, made it impossible for the Orcs to leave a lasting mark on the land. Arnor had lost Rhudaur in the north, but Aranarth’s people eventually reclaimed the Angle. Similarly, Gondor never fully gave up on Ithilien. Ithilien is in many ways a testimony to the strength of Gondor even in the days of its decline. But it is also a statement of the character of the people who said, “This is our home. We will not give it up, except that we must give up our lives.”
Gondor never really lost Ithilien because it lived on in the hearts of the Dunedain. Denethor shrewdly recruited the Rangers from men whose ancestors had once lived in Ithilien. They maintained an emotional investment in the land, and through them Gondor maintained its devotion. Isildur would have been proud.
This article was originally published on January 26, 2001.
