: "When Thangorodrim was broken and Morgoth overthrown, Sauron put on his fair hue again and did obeisance to Eonwë, the herald of Manwë, and abjured all his evil deeds. And some hold that this as not at first falsely done, but that Sauron in truth repented, if only out of fear, being dismayed by the fall of Morgoth and the great wrath of the Lords of the West. But it was not within the power of Eonwë to pardon those of his own order, and he commanded Sauron to return to Aman and there receive the judgement of Manwë. Then Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwilling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence, it might be, of long servitude in proof of his good faith [ ... ]"

: I have always wondered: what would ME have been like if Sauron had returned to Aman at that time to be pardoned (assuming he would not relapse into his former ways)? With no great enemy to unite them, would the kingdoms of ME (both Elvish and Mannish) have fallen into squabbling, eventually warring against each other for supremacy? I am very curious to hear your comments on this 'what if'.

: Furthermore, I believe that, had the Valar and Eonwë shown greater clemency towards him, Sauron might have returned to Aman more willingly. It is highly probable that he would indeed have been sentenced to 'long servitude' which would have been humiliating for one who had been so great. The parallel with the Weimar republic comes to mind: if the allies forces of WWI had been less severe with Germany, Hitler would probably never have risen to power. Granted the economic situation of Germany at the time was disastrous but the National Socialist party came to power also because the Germans felt humiliated by the Treaty of Versailles and the Nazis promised to restore their lost grandeur.

: Ideas?

Once you have tasted great power, it's difficult to return to position of less power, and in Sauron's case survitude. Even if he had returned to Aman, one day he would return to Middle Earth and the scenerio we know would have played itself out.