Timeline Event
Sauron's forces scatter at the Destruction of the One Ring
Event Type: Military/Strategic
Age: 3rd Age - Ring War
Date: March 25, 3019
Description:
An event in the Destruction of the One Ring and the Battle of the Morannon; see those entries for an overview:
From all his policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all his stratagems and wars [Sauron's] mind shook free; and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his slaves quailed, and his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, wavered and despaired. For they were forgotten.
The Return of the King, LoTR Book 6, Ch 3, Mount Doom
But the Nazgûl turned and fled, and vanished into Mordor's shadows...; and even at that moment all the hosts of Mordor trembled, doubt clutched their hearts, their laughter failed, their hands shook and their limbs were loosed. The Power that drove them on and filled them with hate and fury was wavering, its will was removed from them; and now looking in the eyes of their enemies they saw a deadly light and were afraid.
The Return of the King, LoTR Book 6, Ch 4, The Field of Cormallen
The Captains bowed their heads; and when they looked up again, behold! their enemies were flying and the power of Mordor was scattering like dust in the wind. As when death smites the swollen brooding thing that inhabits their crawling hill and holds them all in sway, ants will wander witless and purposeless and then feebly die, so the creatures of Sauron, orc or troll or beast spell-enslaved, ran hither and thither mindless; and some slew themselves, or cast themselves in pits, or fled wailing back to hide in holes and dark lightless places far from hope.... [The] most part [of the Men of Rhûn and of Harad] fled eastward as they could; and some cast their weapons down and sued for mercy.
The Return of the King, LoTR Book 6, Ch 4, The Field of Cormallen
Contributors:
Elena Tiriel 23Jul06