Mightiest of the Maiar?

[cellurdur]

Sauron was more powerful than Gandalf and Saruman, but I don't believe he was the most powerful of the Maiar. Eonwe and Arien are implied to be mightier than anything Morgoth has to offer.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

It's worth mentioning the antiquarian perspective- that in the Old Dispensation Tolkien included some later Maiar among the Valar (e.g. Osse); and also postulated Children of the Valar, specifically Fionwe (> Eonwe), and Kosomot (= Gothmog) son of Morgoth! So, was Gothmog even mightier than Sauron?

[cellurdur]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

It's worth mentioning the antiquarian perspective- that in the Old Dispensation Tolkien included some later Maiar among the Valar (e.g. Osse); and also postulated Children of the Valar, specifically Fionwe (> Eonwe), and Kosomot (= Gothmog) son of Morgoth! So, was Gothmog even mightier than Sauron?

No it's said in more than one place that Sauron was the mightiest of the maia that followed Morgoth.

[jallanite]

Originally Posted by cellurdur

Sauron was more powerful than Gandalf and Saruman, but I don't believe he was the most powerful of the Maiar. Eonwe and Arien are implied to be mightier than anything Morgoth has to offer.

You don’t provide any evidence for your belief about Saruman other than that it is your belief. Same for Eönwë and Árien. Individual unsupported belief is not a valid argument.

Tolkien also indicates that all comments about Árien are part of the Mannish Silmarillion tradition, and so not necessarily true.

[cellurdur]

Originally Posted by jallanite

You don’t provide any evidence for your belief about Saruman other than that it is your belief. Same for Eönwë and Árien. Individual unsupported belief is not a valid argument.

Tolkien also indicates that all comments about Árien are part of the Mannish Silmarillion tradition, and so not necessarily true.

Just, because something was part of the Mannish version of the Silmarilien does not mean it does not have some truth. In every account Arien is an incredibly powerful Maia and either fights off the forces Morgoth sends or ends up burning him for life.

As for Eonwe he is called the mightiest in arms out of the Valar. He is Manwe's personal herald and was in charge of the War of Wrath. At present I don't have all my books, but there are plenty of quotes supporting these statements.