Elrond is known by almost every fan of The Lord of the Rings. But his brother is at least equally important, if not even more so, as he established a realm that is very well known in Arda.
Elrond had a brother named Elros, who went through a lot during his 500-year-long life but achieved great things as well.
He was, just like his now much more famous brother Elrond, half-elven. Both were born in the year 532 of the First Age, a time when things looked grim. The great villain Morgoth dominated Beleriand, a region in the northwest of Middle-earth.
The father of Elros, Eärendil, also had to flee from the last bastion of the Elves, the secret city of Gondolin. He went south to the ports of Sirion. There he met the half-elven Elwing, whom he took as his wife and with her had two children: the twins Elrond and Elros.
A Capture and Important Decision
What happened to Elros? Even during his childhood, Elros, as well as his brother Elrond, had to witness terrible events. The ports of Sirion were attacked when the two children were only six years old. The attackers were the sons of Feanor, who were searching for the Silmarils and were committed to this task because of their father’s oath.
Elros’ mother Elwing was in possession of a Silmaril. She had received it from her father Dior, the king of the Sindar realm of Doriath. The Silmaril was set in the Nauglamir necklace and was the cause of the second kin-slaying, which led to the downfall of Doriath. Elwing escaped with the Silmaril at that time.
And now the gem caused great suffering once again. The next kin-slaying occurred, that is, fighting among the different groups of Elves: The surviving sons of Feanor attacked the refugees in the ports of Sirion because Elwing did not give up the Silmaril.
Elros and Elrond were captured by attackers and taken to a cave. However, instead of killing them there, a special relationship developed: It was none other than Feanor’s son Maglor who formed a deep bond with the children. He saved them and raised them from then on.
After the War of Wrath, the great conflict at the end of the First Age, was finally over, Elros and Elrond were allowed to choose: Either they remained Elves and thus immortal, or they chose a mortal life as men. This decision was a gift from the Valar to them, in gratitude for the deeds of their father Eärendil.
While Elrond famously chose to be an Elf, Elros took the other path. He achieved great things during the years he had left on Arda.
The Realm of Númenor
What happened in the Second Age? The Valar gifted the noble men, called Edain, an island named Elenna in the west of Arda. Elros led his followers there, guided by the star of his father Eärendil, who had gone to Valinor (immortal realm) but was widely seen in the sky due to his Silmaril.
On the island, Elros eventually founded the realm of Númenor and became its first king in the year 32 of the Second Age. He gave himself a new name and called himself Tar-Minyatur. It became a tradition that Elros’ descendants also took a name in the Elvish language Quenya.
Elros brought a number of artifacts with him and his people. Among them was the ring of Barahir – the man Barahir had received it from the Elf Finrod Felagund, the elder brother of Galadriel. Afterward, the ring went to Barahir’s son Beren, from where it presumably passed to his son Dior. Eventually, it came into the possession of Elwing, who left the ring with her sons.
Under Elros’ reign, Armenelos was built, the city of kings, which was to be the center of Númenor. From there, Elros ruled and fathered three sons and a daughter with his wife, whose name unfortunately remains unknown: Vardamir Nólimon, Manwendil, Atanalcar, and Tindómiel.
Like it was customary for the people of Númenor, they were all to live significantly longer than an ordinary man. Elros himself ruled for a full 410 years before he finally felt the desire to die. This happened when he had already celebrated his 500th birthday in the year 442 of the Second Age.
He was succeeded on the throne by his eldest son Vardamir – but only briefly, as he himself was already 381 years old. Therefore, he passed the office to his own son Amandil.
The realm of Númenor became one of the most powerful on Arda and continued for a long time until it perished in the year 3319 of the Second Age. Whether Elros and Elrond ever saw each other again after the brothers parted ways before departing for Númenor remains unknown. However, it is certain that both are connected to Aragorn: Did you know that Aragorn and Arwen are actually related?
