After the destruction of Eregion, Sauron's forces overran Eriador, and by the year II 1700 his armies had reached as far north and west as the River Lhûn. Meanwhile, Tar-Minastir of Númenor had sent a huge force of his own to support of the Elves of Lindon, and with the help of the Númenóreans, Sauron was forced back southwards.
Retreating towards the River Gwathló, Sauron received reinforcements from Tharbad, but was ambushed by a second Númenórean force. The Númenóreans had sent a part of their fleet southwards, and so another great army from Lond Daer lay in wait for Sauron's force. The two armies met in the Battle of the Gwathló, in which Sauron was utterly defeated, and nearly captured. He fled back to Mordor, and so the Númenóreans succeeded in freeing Eriador, but earned Sauron's hatred.
Notes
1 |
The date of the battle is not absolutely certain. According to the Tale of Years, Sauron was defeated by Númenóreans out of Lindon in II 1700, which would seem to be a reference to his defeat at Sarn Ford. The next entry, for II 1701 describes him being driven out of Eriador, which may be reference to the Battle of the Gwathló, or (rather more likely) to his later pursuit into Calenardhon and then back across Anduin. The Battle of the Gwathló was fought between these two dated events, and so it may have taken place in late II 1700, or perhaps in early II 1701. In his index to Unfinished Tales, Christopher Tolkien dates the battle as II 1700, and we follow that dating here.
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2 |
We have few specific details about the disposition of forces in the battle, but we can deduce certain facts with a degree of confidence. We know that the Númenóreans landed at the mouth of the Gwathló, at the port of Vinyalondë (later to be known as Lond Daer). Given that the battle took place close enough to the river for it to be known as the 'Battle of the Gwathló', it seems unavoidable that the Númenórean force followed the course of the river to Tharbad, either by water or by land.
We're specifically told that Sauron had been reinforced from Tharbad before the battle, and also that the Númenóreans attacked his rear. Both those facts imply that Sauron was already moving away southward from Tharbad when the battle took place. On this assumption, the battle would not have been literally on the river Gwathló, but some miles southward of the river-crossing at Tharbad.
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- Updated 4 October 2020
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