Third Age

The Third Age of Middle-earth is the epoch in which the events of The Lord of the Rings unfold, a period of nearly three millennia that begins with the first defeat of Sauron and ends with the departure of the Ring-bearers across the Sea. It is an age defined by the slow waning of the Elves, the rise and gradual decay of the Númenórean kingdoms in exile, and the long shadow of Sauron's return, culminating in the War of the Ring and the final destruction of the One Ring. The Third Age closes not with a cataclysm but with a quiet departure: the last of the Three Rings lose their power, the Elves sail into the West, and the dominion of Men begins.

Duration and Chronology

The Third Age lasted for 3,021 years, from the first overthrow of Sauron by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men to the departure of the Ring-bearers in September 3021. Its reckoning begins with the year Sauron was defeated and the One Ring was taken from him by Isildur. The age is divided into many sub-periods: the early centuries of peace and the Watchful Peace, the rise of Angmar and the fall of the Northern Kingdom, the Kin-strife and plague in Gondor, the long wars against the Easterlings and Corsairs, and the final decades of open war with Mordor. The Shire-reckoning, used by the Hobbits, dates from the colonization of the Shire in Third Age 1601, so that the War of the Ring occurs in Shire-years 1418–1419.

The Kingdoms of Men in Exile

After the Downfall of Númenor, Elendil and his sons Isildur and Anárion founded the Númenórean realms in exile: Arnor in the North and Gondor in the South. For over a thousand years Gondor grew in power, reaching its height under the Ship-kings, but then began a slow decline marked by civil war, plague, and relentless pressure from the East and South. Arnor fragmented into three smaller kingdoms and was eventually destroyed by the Witch-king of Angmar, though the line of Isildur survived in the hidden Rangers of the North. The last king of Gondor, Eärnur, vanished into Minas Morgul in 2050, and the realm was thereafter ruled by the Stewards until the return of the king at the end of the age.

The Waning of the Elves and the Rise of Sauron

The Third Age was the fading time of the Elves. The Three Rings were hidden, and the Elven kingdoms of Lindon, Rivendell, and Lothlórien endured as refuges of ancient beauty and wisdom, but their power was bound to the fate of the One Ring. Sauron, though defeated, did not perish; his spirit fled and slowly took shape again, first in Mirkwood and later openly in Mordor. He rebuilt Barad-dûr, gathered the Nazgûl, and sought the One Ring that had been lost. The White Council was formed to oppose him, but its efforts were hampered by the treachery of Saruman. The age saw the return of many evils: Orcs multiplied, the Balrog was awakened in Moria, and the shadow of Mordor lengthened over all the lands.

The War of the Ring and the End of the Age

The War of the Ring, fought in 3018–3019, was the central conflict of the Third Age. It began with the discovery of the One Ring by Bilbo Baggins and culminated in its destruction in the fires of Mount Doom. The war saw the fall of Sauron, the destruction of Barad-dûr, and the overthrow of Saruman. The Three Rings lost their power, and the Elves, their work done, departed over the Sea. The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor was established under King Elessar (Aragorn), and the Fourth Age began. The Third Age thus ended not with a battle but with a departure: the last ship bearing the Ring-bearers and the Keepers of the Three Rings sailed from the Grey Havens, and Middle-earth passed into the dominion of Men.