Editing Gondor (section)

==== Third Age, under the Stewards ====
{{anchor|Umbar|Stewards|Plague|Great Plague}}

[[File:Flag of the Stewards of Gondor.svg|thumb|upright|Seal of the Stewards of Gondor{{efn|The seal of the stewards consisted of the three letters: R.ND.R (standing for ''Arandur'', king's servant), surmounted by three stars.<ref name="Seal of the Stewards" group=T/>}}]]

[[File:2ndMarquessOfHamilton.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|[[James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton]] holding the white staff of the Lord Steward of the King's Household, Scotland. Portrait by unknown artist after [[Daniël Mijtens]], 1622]]

During the early years of the [[Third Age]], Gondor was victorious and wealthy, and kept a careful watch on Mordor, but the peace ended with Easterling invasions.<ref name="AppB" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}} Appendix B "The Third Age"</ref> Gondor established a powerful navy and captured the southern port of Umbar from the [[Black Númenóreans]],<ref name="AppB" group=T/> becoming rich.<ref name="AppA" group=T/>

{{anchor|Great Plague}}
As time went by, Gondor neglected the watch on [[Mordor]]. A civil war gave Umbar the opportunity to declare independence.<ref name="AppB" group=T/> The kings of [[Harad]] grew stronger, leading to fighting in the south.<ref name="PM-HE" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1996}} ch. 7 "The Heirs of Elendil"</ref> With a Great [[Plague (disease)|Plague]]<!--of the year 1636--> the population began a steep decline.<ref name="AppB" group=T/> The capital was moved from Osgiliath to the less affected Minas Anor, and evil creatures returned to the mountains bordering Mordor. There was war with the Wainriders, a confederation of Easterling tribes, and Gondor lost its line of kings.<ref name="UT-CE1" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1980}} part 3 ch. 2 "Cirion and Eorl", (i)</ref> The [[Ringwraiths]] captured and occupied Minas Ithil<ref name="OtRoP" group=T/> which became [[Minas Morgul]], "the Tower of Black Sorcery".<ref name="Steward and the King" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}} book 5 ch. 8 "The Houses of Healing"; book 6 ch. 5 "The Steward and the King"</ref><ref name="OtRoP" group=T/><ref name="AppA" group=T/> At this time Minas Anor was renamed to Minas Tirith, in constant watch of its now defiled twin city.

{{anchor|Ithilien}}
Without kings, Gondor was ruled by Stewards for many generations, father to son; despite their exercise of power and hereditary status, they were never accepted as Kings, nor did they sit on the high throne.<ref name="TT-WW" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954}} book 4, ch. 5 "The Window on the West"</ref> The badge of office of the Stewards is a white rod.<ref name="Minas Tirith" group=T/><ref name="EB lord high steward">{{cite web |title=lord high steward: English honorific office |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/lord-high-steward |publisher=Britannica |access-date=27 May 2025 |quote=On ceremonial occasions he carries a white staff}}</ref>

Faramir reports that Boromir as a boy had asked his father Denethor how many centuries it would take for a steward to become a king. Denethor replied "Few years, maybe, in other places of less royalty. In Gondor ten thousand years would not suffice."<ref name="TT-WW" group=T/> Shippey reads this as a reproach to [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Macbeth]]'', noting that in Scotland, and [[Lord Steward|in Britain]], a [[House of Stuart|Stewart/Steward]] like [[James I of England]] (James VI of Scotland) could metamorphose into a king.{{sfn|Shippey|2005|p=206}} 

After attacks by evil forces, the province of Ithilien<ref name="Minas Tirith" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}} book 5 ch. 1 "Minas Tirith"</ref> and the city of Osgiliath were abandoned.<ref name="AppA" group=T/><ref name="AppB" group=T/> Late in the Third Age, the forces of Gondor, led by [[Aragorn]] (under the alias Thorongil) attacked Umbar and destroyed the Corsair fleet, allowing Ecthelion II to devote his attention to Mordor.<ref name="Seal of the Stewards" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1980}} part 3 ch. 2 "Cirion and Eorl", note 25</ref>{{sfn|Straubhaar|2007|pp=248–249}}<!--in Drout--><ref name="AppB" group=T/>