[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Expandable messenger? Oh my, you are underrating him. No, he wasn't a warrior from what we know, but we are talking about rank, and that was high. A Prime Minister does not normally go into war personally, but his rank is high nonetheless.

And I think you are overrating him. Sure he cut an impressive figure on his monstrous horse at the parley - but was he really THAT great? He was high in Sauron's favor - yes, he showed cunning, cruelty and servility. His job was to relate the Dark Lord's orders to underlings, and to supervise the other servants in the Barad-Dur fortress. Likely he lent his hand in torturing the prisoners - more like a hobby. But it doesn't make him anything like a Prime minister of Mordor. Had he any authority outside Barad Dur? - We are not told that. Was he entitled to give advice to Sauron? I doubt it. He was a sorcerer, as much as a mortal can learn, yes, but, for instance, when the Fell Beast project was being developed, MOS was not in it - only Sauron and the WK (RC).

Also, Sauron didn't hesitate to send MOS to the parley, protected only by ambassador's diplomatic immunity. Could Sauron be 100 % sure that the Lords of Gondor wouldn't chop off MOS's head, like Aragorn did in the infamous PJ's scene? Sauron was treacherous and judged others by his standards - MOS himself was much afraid. That's why I call him expendable.

And let us consider his dream - to become the new Lord of Isengard. Was this position better than Sauron's right-hand man, his Prime Minister? Hardly, but then again MOS never was Sauron's right-hand man.

And a one of the Ministers in a state ruled by Sauron could be named Gothmog, why not?

Gothmog was clearly a military commander, not a minister.

Do you really believe MoS cleared latrines in Barad-Dur?!!

Nay, but he made sure that everything ran smoothly, was in order, including the latrines. If there were a problem of this genre, do you think the orcs would report to Sauron? Nay, they had MOS for it at the top of a long chain of command.

And yes, I believe there was such a person - the Lieutenant of Minas Morgul. And who was that? Gothmog, of course. No problem with this one.

I am sure that Gothmog was the Lieutenant of Morgul (Lord)=the WK - not Minas Morgul fortress. And "Lieutenant" here is not a definite army rank (like nowadays) but has the same meaning as second-in-command.

I never spoke about Nazgul. I spoke about the armies. I always believed the Nazgul to be flying around on Sauron's direct orders, ordered to scare people and oversee the battle and eventually report on what's happening. I never counted the Nazgul above Pelennor to be under command of the general, and if they were, then the WK and later they'd leave (among other things to inform Sauron that the First Nazgul is dead, as we read in RotK. Also, WK couldn't have commanded them anyway for example when he was at the Gate).

I believe the nazgul were under the WK's direct orders, not Sauron's. Every army needs a clear chain of command from top to bottom - it is never good when someone other interferes (even Sauron). Even when the WK was on the ground he could have communicated with the others - by cries:

(The Nazgûl found one another easily, since they were quickly aware of a companion presence, and could hear the cries over great distances. They could see one another also from far away, even by day when to them a Nazgûl was the one clearly visible thing in a mist.)Marquette MSS 4/2/36 RC p. 164

Also at the Ford the WK managed to give Frodo an order (to stop) using Osanwe, so I have no doubt that he could do the same with his own fellows.

If Gothmog was the next-in-rank after the WK among the present nazgul, then the rest would obey him. Of course, all of them would be much demoralized by the WK's fall anyway - after all, he was their captain for 4500+ years...