Posted: May 24, 2000 at 15:58:47: by Aelmer
: Seems to me (after a bit of thinking, which is becoming increasingly harder as i get older)that denethors power over his 'captains of the outlands' was not as good or large as we are led to believe. Take for example the reinforcements which arrived at minas tirith - 'they are sending only a tithe of there strength' seems to me that if denethor had such control he could have ordered a larger contingent of troops to defend such a strategic place as minas tirith.
: I think that i read somewhere else about the house of dol amroth only sending troops because of their loyalty to the house of hurin (ie the stewards), not because of any overall command of the stewards.Not weakening their own defenses was probably the main reason for the low numbers sent. Also, as Pabbot points out, Gondor appears feudal in structure. There are examples, in history, of a king or lord asking for so many men and recieving less, or none.~Aelmer
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