Tolkien portrayed an overall decay from the Elder Days to
the Third Age. But I think we need to be careful when Tolkien mentions the earlier superiority as he can often refer to cultural superiority rather than military superiority. The modern world in Tolkien's day was vastly superior to the medieval one militarily, but Tolkien would disagree it was also culturally improved. I think the decay of
Middle-earth that is spoken of is its distancing from the
Valar and
Valinor. In a way, a representation of our world distancing from Christianity.
In the
Second Age the Numenorieans were increasing in every way except the military, as we read, "The
Dunedain became mighty in crafts, so that if they had had the mind, they could easily have surpassed the
evil kings of Middle-earth in making of war and the forging of
weapons; but they were become
men of peace." Just because they are more advanced does not make them better at war. And it was after they began to fall and become under the sway of
Sauron, they did advance militarily.
However, in the case of the
Elves, who are the focal point of
The Silmarillion, they had been reduced in military might. The
Noldor elves were significantly reduced from their
wars with
Morgoth in the
First Age and later after the
battle of the Last Alliance. Further, in the Third Age, the elves were leaving Middle-earth and returning to the west across the seas as their numbers continued to dwindle. The elves are the closest to
Eru Iluvatar of the free
peoples, and their leaving Middle-earth is in every way a reduction of strength in the last
ages. Other examples include the binding of Morgoth, the fall of the Numonrians at the hands of
Eru, and later the decay of the northern kingdom of
Arnor and the physical removal of the Valar from the world as Eru remade Middle-earth.
Consider, however, that Tolkien at various times mentions losses of power, but these can also be gains of overall power. Take
Moria; the tremendous dwarven
city was lost to the
orcs. However, it was now a power of the followers of
Melkor so while the
dwarves mourned, Sauron would celebrate the rise of the power of Moria for the shadow.
The
Hobbit contains such examples of lost power; however, the book is also on restoring power to the dwarves and the men of
Lake Town that can now flourish. Like the Middle Ages, Middle-earth is full of rising and falling
kingdoms and peoples. For example, during the Third Age, "
Gondor rises to a peak of power, almost reflecting
Númenor, and then fades slowly to decayed Middle age' 'Tolkien writes in letters 131.
What is often ignored is the fact there were also many increases in power in the Third Age. Even using the Noldor elves, we see their numbers reduced, but individually they increase in power. Individually, Noldor elves such as
Glorfindel and
Galadriel increased in power drastically. And Noldor elves returning to Middle-earth itself was a power increase. The Noldor elves dwindled, that is true, but the
Silvan elves and men increased after the First Age. In Unfinished
Tales, we read in the Second Age, "the numbers of the silvan elves grew again... man also were increasing in numbers and power." Other elves that never crossed the seas had multiplied in strength, such as
Thranduil's people, who grew in numbers. And in the Third Age, the
Rohirrim grew in numbers and power while Gondor decayed, but Gondor itself decayed partly because of the rise in power in
Mordor. But overall, "men increased in power and numbers," Robert Foster writes.
Crafting as well saw improvements. In the Second Age, "the smiths of Ost-in-edil surpassed all that they had conceived before. They made
the rings of power." In The Hobbit, we read the dwarves of
Erebor were "at the height of their wealth and skill." In
Rivendell before the
council of Elrond,
Gloin says the dwarves "in mining and building we have surpassed
the old days." Gloin said his people decided they were ready to recapture Moria, "now, at last, we had the power and numbers to return."
Minas Tirith was built by the Numonrians yet it was improved by the dwarves; as we read in The Peoples of Middle-earth The Tale of Years of the Third Age, "the reign of King
Aragorn was long and glorious. In his time, Minas Tirith was rebuilt and made stronger and fairer than before, for the king had the assistance of the stone rights of Erebor."
Many of the earlier ages great castles would translate to the Third Age as well. The increase in
fortresses made like
Isengard, Minas Ithuil, The
Black Gate, Minas Tirith,
Barad Dur,
Helms Deep, The Seats of Seeing, Echor Rammas,
Weathertop, and others was created or improved over time, likewise the
beacons of Gondor were created after the Rohrimms inhabitation of
Rohan allowing for fast communication.
Another aspect of Tolkiens is the increase in wisdom and power over time; often, the older the being, the wiser and more powerful it becomes.
Frodo on
Gandalf the Grey's return to
the Shire observed his "face more lined with care and wisdom." Sauron in the Second Age became more powerful than Melkor in the First Age, yet seemingly, Sauron in the Third Age grew even more significant. We read in of the rings of power in the Third Age, "the shadow returned, and its power increased...now the shadow grew even greater."
Numenoreans are another example of how power increases over time. As we read in
Akallabeth, the "Dunedain....increased in stature both of mind and body." Among the Numanorians came "
Eonwe among them and taught them and they were given wisdom and power and life more enduring than any others of mortal
race have possessed....grew wise and glorious, and in all things more like the firstborn than any other of the kindred of men." Tolkien writes in letters 131 that "meanwhile Númenor has grown in wealth, wisdom, and glory, under its line of great kings of long life, directly descended from
Elros,
Earendil's son, brother of
Elrond." Thus, over time, an increase in power was expected.
There were various technological advancements in the Third Age. Siege equipment saw a giant leap. Sauron created the massive battering
ram Grond for the siege of Minas Tirith. Siege
towers, catapults, ladders, ballistic, grappling hooks were used and not seen in the First Ages.
Saruman created some form of bomb or explosive to use at Helms Deep. Saruman also created napalm and used it to kill the ent Beechbone during the attack on
Orthanc.
In the Third Age, there were breeding improvements, such as Saruman's breeding of the
Uruk-hai superior to the existing orcs.
The trolls that were bred in the Third Age were "no longer dull-witted, but cunning and armed with dreadful weapons." Thus, it was in the Third Age they became a powerful and valuable
weapon for Sauron. Sauron also improved a breed of
trolls, the
Olog-hai, over any in the First Ages.
"In their beginning... the Elder days, these were
creatures of dull and impish nature and had no more language than beasts. But Sauron had made use of them, teaching them, what they could learn, and increasing their wits and wildness."
-J.R.R Tolkien Myths Transformed Morgoth's Ring HarperCollinsPublishers 2015
The
Haradrim domesticated the
Mumakil in the Third Age and used them in warfare. It seems the
horse lords of Rohan improved the breeding of
horses, and
Gandalf was the first to tame
Shadowfax and was then able to utilize his speed to significant effect. He says of Shadowfax, "I have never seen the like of him." The
fell beasts were bred and fed foul meats by Sauron in the Third Age to enlarge them and he gave them to the
ringwraiths. When
Legolas saw one, he cried, "what new terror is this." In Appendix B of
The Lord of the Rings, we read that "
dragons reappeared" and grew in number and even great dragons returned like
Smaug. Smaug, who grew in power over time, "I was but young and tender. Now I am old and strong."
"They [Istari] belonged solely to the Third Age and then departed, and none save maybe Elrond,
Cirdan, and Galadriel discovered of what kind they were or whence they came."
-Unfinished Tales of
Numenor and Middle-Earth The
Istari Ballantine
Books NY 1988
The five
wizards came to Middle-earth during the Third Age adding great power to the age. Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf
the White was also a drastic increase in power. Other advancements in the latter ages include the rings of power used by Galadriel, Elrond, and Gandalf.
The nine rings of men and the ringwraiths, the dwarven rings owned by Sauron. Sauron's use of the
Palantir to try and control others' thoughts is another.
The rise of Mordor to great power is yet another example. Mordor grew to such power in the Third Age that
Treebeard said, "If Sauron of old destroyed the gardens [brown lands], the enemy today seems likely to wither all the woods." Mordors's power was so great that Elrond says, "if I had a host of elves in
armor of the Elder Days, it would avail little, save to arouse the power of Mordor."
When the
Witch King leads his army out of
Minas Morgul, we read "so great an army never issued from that vale since the days of
Isildur's might" and "no-host so fell and strong in arms had yet assailed the fords of
Anduin, and yet it was but one and not the greatest of the hosts that Mordor now sent forth."
Denethor said the stoke against Minas Tirith was but only one finger in the hand of Sauron now moving against the free peoples. He told Gandalf, "you may triumph on the
fields of Pelennor for a day, but against the power that has now arisen, there is no victory." In The Last Debate, Gandalf agreed with Denethor, saying to the free peoples' leaders to "ponder the truth in these words." Barely had they beat off the first strike, and they couldn't withstand another. Sauron had kept a more significant part of his army in Mordor because he hastened his attack due to Aragorn. He also sent forces to attack
Lorien, the Gondorian coastline, and
Dale.
More examples come from the
dead men of Dunharrow being put into action. The
ents united for the attack on Isengard as they found their numbers strong; it seems many
trees had become ents. The awakening of the
Balrog in Moria, the reforging of
Anduril, and the emergence of mankind uniting under Aragon who made Minas Tirith "more fair than it had ever been, even in the days of its first glory." The ringwraiths, who are said in the rings of power and the Third Age, were "the mightiest of Sauron's servants" and the strongest of them all the Witch King himself.
Warg riders first appeared at the five
armies' battle and were used by the orcs of the
misty mountains and Isengard.
In general, an increase takes place over time. Think of how much the
hobbits grew through the
war of the ring. If they remained in the Shire, they would have stayed as ordinary hobbits and could not have done anything with the ruffians. But they grew in power and were able to overthrow ruffians and Saruman, a
Maiar, because of all they had learned and experienced.
The First Ages are seen as more powerful by many because of the Valar and Maiar. This is because these beings were all but lost to Middle-earth when the earth was remade after the assault on Valinor by the Numonrians in the Second Age. But if we look just at Middle-earth itself, then the loss of Valar is not as significant as assumed.
The Valar resided in paradise, not Middle-earth. They rarely came to Middle-earth and only fought once in the First Age and none in the second. In appendix A of The Lord of the Rings, we read
Orome "alone of the Valar came often to Middle-earth in the Elder days." So the only Valar lost would be Melkor, who the Valar captured at the end of the First Age. Yet, he was surpassed by Sauron's power by the Second Age.
Looking at the Maiar who resided in Middle-earth for each age might surprise many—taking the conservative view here of Maiar as only those directly stated as being Maiar. Rather than some who hold a more liberal view making
eagles, ents,
Ungoliant,
Huan,
Shelob, and some other creatures thrown in that category. It can't be disproved, but unless Tolkien made it clear, or there is an excellent reason, I stick to who he confirmed as Maiar.
So in the Third Age, the Maiar are the 5 wizards, Sauron, the Balrog [perhaps 1 or 2 more still in hiding "the Balrogs were destroyed, save some few that fled and hid in caverns inaccessible at the roots of the earth"] making a total confirmed of at least 7. Perhaps also
Tom and
Goldberry.
The First Age powers are Melian [for a time], Ossë,
Ulmo [along coasts and waterways], Sauron, and the
balrogs. That gives 4 plus the balrogs. If we hold to the 3-7 balrogs in the history of middle-earth that Tolkien indicated, that would bring the total to as low as 7.
The Second Age has fewer Sauron and the surviving balrogs as few as 1,
Durin's Bane. Thus we do not see a drastic decrease in power with the Maiar and Valar regarding those who live in, or visit Middle-earth. And it seems to increase over the Second Age. As we read of the Second Age in Akallabeth, "Middle-earth went backward and light and wisdom faded."
