Sauron, the titular character of Lord of the Rings – was born sometime before the Ainulindalë as one of the Maiar.
Before creating the One Ring, Sauron was of the Maiar of Aulë remaining mighty in the lore of them but later became only less evil than Melkor the Morgoth of Arda. Sauron later had a role walking behind Melkor in his deeds and deceits, making him his servant and following his path.
Start of Invasion of Middle-earth and Númenor
In the year 1000, Sauron built Barad-dûr in order to invade the Númenóreans, as he was intimidated by them. As the coming of the Númenóreans were underway, and their king Aldarion became a great shipbuilder, Sauron chose Mordor to make as a stronghold as a counter to the threat to Númenórean landings, and also possibly as a geographic location. By then, he had left Eriador for a while.
“It was enclosed within a naturally defensive, three-sided and roughly rectangular wall provided by two great mountain ranges: to the north was the Ered Lithui or Ash Mountains; to west and south was the Ephel Duath, also known as the Mountains of Shadow or the Outer Fence,…the lands all about were scarred from its violent volcanic eruptions, ‘which were not made by Sauron but were a relic of the devastating works of Melkor in the long First Age.” (Fall of Numenor, “Sauron and the One Ring”)
He had also selected the Plateau of Gorgoroth, known for its fierceness as the name was derived from the (Sindarin) word ‘gorgor’ meaning horror or dread. It was dominated by the towering presence of Mount Doom, along with Orodruin, or the ‘burning mountain.’
Barad-dûr is a vast fortress which represented “the dreadful menace of the Power that waited, brooding in deep thought and sleepless malice behind the dark veil above its Throne…like the oncoming of a wall at night at the last end of the world.” (Fall of Numenor, “Sauron and the One Ring”)
Invasion of Elves vs Men
Sauron found the Men easier to sway than the Elves, though he had pursued long to persuade the Elves to his service. He knew that Elves had greater power than Men, though he did not take much heed to Dwarves nor Men instead focusing on gaining the trust of the Eldar.
However, Sauron did not come to Lindon, since Gil-galad and Elrond doubted him. A few hundred years later in 1500, the Elves of Eregion had reached him gladly.
Sauron took the name Annatar, meaning the ‘Lord of Gifts,’ and the Elves of Eregion profited from his friendship.
The War of the Elves and Sauron began in the year 1693.
“But [Sauron], finding that he was betrayed and that the Elves were not deceived, was filled with wrath; and he came against them with open war, demanding that all the rings should be delivered to him; and three of their rings they saved, and bore them away, and hid them.” (Fall of Numenor)
Sauron would eventually persuade Celebrimbor and ask him to forge the Rings of Power. While Celebrimbor was initially an easy target, he eventually found out about Sauron’s plan and sought repentance.
Sauron’s forces would go from Calenardhon (or Rohan) to get to Eriador to invade two years later, as he learned of the repentance and revolt of Celebrimbor. As Elrond and Gil-galad finally found out about Sauron’s actions, Gil-galad would send Elrond there as a force, and send messages to Númenór for aid. Sauron turned north and continued attacking Eregion. Eregion would lay waste in the year 1697, as the attackers would finally break in.
Sauron was defeated once in the year 1700 after Tar-Minastir would send a great navy from Númenór to Lindon, and another time in the year 3434 when the host of the Last Alliance crosses the Misty Mountains.
Meanwhile, Sauron would be driven out of Eriador, causing the White Council to form and Galadriel to leave Lórinand and dwell near the sea, and committed Lórinand to Amroth before seeking Celeborn in Rivendell.
Sauron would gather all the remaining Rings of Power when the Nazgûl arrive, giving the seven Rings to the Dwarves and nine Rings to Men as they were readiest to his will. Those who used the Nine Rings became kings, sorcerers, and warriors, and had unending life, but the life seemed unendurable to them.
“All through the twilight of the Second Age the Shadow is growing in the East of Middle-earth, spreading its sway more and more over Men – who multiply as the Elves begin to fade.” (The Waldman Letter)
Sauron’s corruption of Númenóreans
Sauron, after being taken as prisoner of Númenór and seeing Ar-Pharazôn as the King of Númenór, he would speak to the King:
“It is he whose name is not now spoken; for the Valar have deceived you concerning him, putting forward the name of Eru, a phantom devised in the folly of their hearts, seeking to enchain Men in servitude to themselves. For they are the oracle of this Eru, which speaks only what they will. But he that is their master shall yet prevail, and he will deliver you from this phantom; and his name is Melkor, Lord of All, Giver of Freedom, and he shall make you stronger than they.” (The Silmarillion, “Akallabêth”)
Then the King would turn back to worship Morgoth, Sauron’s Master, first in secret but later it came out and all the Númenóreans would follow him.
Meanwhile, Isildur would deliver the White Tree and opened the first leaf which was later destroyed by the King under the influence of Sauron as his power increased. They would choose their victims among the Númenóreans and as they desired to enter the Blessed Realm, they grew further and further influenced by the Dark Lord Sauron.
Finding of the Ring
Sméagol found the One Ring sometime in 2463 TA. He loved that no one could see him when he wore the ring, and used it to find out secrets, along with using his knowledge for crooked and malicious uses.
“He took to thieving, and going about muttering to himself, and gurgling in his throat. So they called him Gollum, and cursed him, and told him to go far away; and his grandmother, desiring peace, expelled him from the family and turned him out of her hole.
He wandered in loneliness, weeping a little for the hardness of the world, and he journeyed up the River, till he came to a stream that flowed down from the mountains, and he went that way. He caught fish in deep pools with invisible fingers and ate them raw. …
‘…The Ring went into the shadows with him, and even the maker, when his power had begun to grow again, could learn nothing of it…It was not Gollum, Frodo, but the Ring itself that decided things. The Ring left [Gollum].” (FOTR, “The Shadow of the Past”)
Thus, in The Hobbit, Bilbo solved a riddle and as a result he found the One Ring. 60 years later, after a party and some hesitance, he would give the One Ring to his cousin Frodo to take to Mount Doom.
Downfall of Sauron
On March 25, 3019 TA, Frodo and Sam arrived at Mount Doom, with Frodo tasked to take the One Ring to Mordor.
However, at the final moment, he resisted, saying:
“ I have come… But I do not choose now to do what I came to do. I will not do this deed. The Ring is mine!” (ROTK, “Mount Doom”)
…after which Gollum finally grabbed hold of the ring, biting off Frodo’s finger to get it before falling into the fire with the ring. This marked the downfall of Sauron.
