Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Lalaith
But the Edain were granted their long lifespan three times that of ordinary men, by the Valar, when they left for Numenor. Elros got 500 years, but again, all the references I find have him getting that lifespan at the time he made his choice, not before. So Aragorn, as his descendant, was getting the grace of the Valar that had been granted at the end of the First Age.
|
There is an age difference, though, between the Line of Elros and the average Edainic Númenorean. In the case of Elros' descendents, until the shadow fell on Númenor, four hundred years was the standard lifespan, whereas the Normal Númenorean only lived 250-300 years. Even as the lifespan of the Elrosians dropped after they began to rebel against the Valar, they seem to have consistantly had longer lifespans than the average around them. Elendil lived past three hundred, and died in battle not of old age. By the time of Aragorn, I agree, the longevity is simply general Númenorean, but in earlier times there was a marked difference.