Younger Days

The end of the Third Age saw many changes in Middle-earth, and one of these was the true beginning of the time known as the Dominion of Men. Saruman saw history divided into three long aeons, beginning with the Elder Days of the First Age, a time in which the Elves dominated Middle-earth, followed by the Middle Days of the Second and Third Ages that saw the ascension of Men and the fading of the Elves.

As the Third Age came to a close the Elves were waning in Middle-earth and Men were coming to the fore, and this was especially true after the destruction of the One Ring caused the Three Rings of the Elves to lose their power. After Sauron's final defeat the Keepers of the Three Rings, including Galadriel and Elrond, departed Middle-earth aboard the White Ship. From this time Men became the dominant people of Middle-earth, heralding the beginning of the Younger Days, the time of the Dominion of Men.