Regarding the Enemy

[Ghazi]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

Another questionable one, I would say no. However, Tolkien does say that at the end of the Second Age Sauron was more powerful than Morgoth was, because of the reason you mentioned, in that Morgoth had spread out and "bled" his powers.

That's interesting because it would lead one to conclude that the Numenoreans, or the Last Alliance, would have been able to defeat Morgoth, since they defeated Sauron (easily in the case of the Numenoreans) during the Second Age.

[Anguirel]

Not really, I don't think. Sauron the entity might have had the edge over Morgoth the weakened entity-maybe-but Morgoth's armies were by far the stronger; the hosts of the Balrogs and Dragons including Anclagon the Black and Sauron as well at his bidding...

[Farael]

Well, I think it's a matter of three possible scenarios

a) Morgoth and Sauron going "mano a mano" in a one-to-one fight. Sauron may have had the edge as Morgoth had spread much of his power around.

b) Sauron revolting against Morgoth, gathering an army and going after his former Master.

c) Sauron gaining the loyalty of Morgoth's strongest lieutenants and captains and overthrowing him without a battle.

Of the three, A) is the only one that would have Sauron as a victor, but at the same time it would never happen as I'm sure that Morgoth knew of his own limitations and at the same time, there are no indications that Sauron was unhappy with his role (as far as I am aware of, and I reckon I don't know as much as other)

Option C) is all but impossible. Where has Morgoth's power gone? into "creating" (I know, he can't actually create, but he did modify existing things to serve his purposes) lieutenants that would not only be mighty but also respond to him. It is possible that some of this power Morgoth spread went to assuring the loyalty of his men.

Option B) has the same shortcomings that option C. While Sauron may be able to gather an army of orcs to march against Morgoth, it is very likely that Morgoth would have most if not all of his Balrogs, Dragons and such creatures by his side. No matter how great an army of Orcs Sauron may be able to gather, they would be no match for Morgoth's forces.

Sure, Sauron may (and note it says "may") have had the edge on a movie-style one on one confrontation, but Morgoth did not spread his powers around by accident. In a way, it's like Sauron's ring. Sauron "spent" some of his inherent powers on making the ring but at the same time he became stronger while he had his ring. Morgoth spent some of his powers on creating his vast armies and well, as long as he had his armies, balrogs, dragons and other such demons he was an overwhelming force to be reckoned with.

[Raynor]

Originally Posted by Ghazi

That's interesting because it would lead one to conclude that the Numenoreans, or the Last Alliance, would have been able to defeat Morgoth, since they defeated Sauron (easily in the case of the Numenoreans) during the Second Age.

The numenoreans didn't actually defeat Sauron, as there was no confrontation. We don't know if any human can defeat a balrog and the winged dragons were not defeated by Men either.
If Sauron was indeed mightier than late Morgoth, I doubt that the valars would have sent just the istari, and not a full host of "high" elves, lead by the mightiest in arms of all Arda, as they did with Morgoth.

[AragornII]

...winged dragons were not defeated by Men either.

Technically, that isn't true. Smaug was defeated by Bard, who was a Man . I know that isn't during the war you are talking about, but it happened.

[Boromir88]

I did find the quote that Sauron ended up surpassing Morgoth in power. This is from HoME: Morgoth's Ring, Myths Transformed:

Sauron was 'greater' effectively, in the Second Age than Morgoth at the end of the First. Why? Because, though he was far smaller by natural stature, he had not yet fallen so low. Eventually he also squandered his power (of being) in the endeavor to gain control of others. But he was not obliged to expend so much of himself. To gain domination over Arda, Morgoth had let most of his being pass into the physical consitituents of the Earth--hence all things that were born on Earth and lived on and by it, beasts or plants or incarnate spirits, were liable to be 'stained'. Morgoth at the time of the War of the Jewels had become permanantly 'incarnate': for this reason he was afraid, and waged the war almost entirely by means and devices, or of subordinates and dominated creatures.
Sauron, however, inherited the 'corruption' of Arda, and only spent his (much more limited) power on the Rings; for it was the creatures of earth, in their minds and wills, that he desired to dominate. In this way, Sauron was also wiser than Melkor-Morgoth. Sauron was not a beginner of discord; and he probably knew more of the 'Music' than did Melkor, whose mind had always been filled with his own plans and devices, and gave little attention to other things. The time of Melkor's greatest power, therefore, was in the physical beginnings of the World; a vast demiurgic lust for power and the achievement of his own will and designs on a great scale.....

[Raynor]

Sauron was 'greater' effectively, in the Second Age than Morgoth at the end of the First.

I would notice the use of the quote marks in that phrase. Moreover, Sauron is "far smaller by natural stature" and has "(much more limited) power ". He was never capable of destroying the whole of Arda (as the valar knew Melkor could, if they would have attacked any sooner - according to your own source).

[obloquy]

Originally Posted by Raynor

I would notice the use of the quote marks in that phrase. Moreover, Sauron is "far smaller by natural stature" and has "(much more limited) power ". He was never capable of destroying the whole of Arda (as the valar knew Melkor could, if they would have attacked any sooner - according to your own source).

You're correct, and I doubt you'll find anyone willing to dispute the contention that Morgoth was a much mightier being than Sauron. The point of the quoted text, however, is to express just how low Morgoth had fallen.

Further delving into the issue: had Sauron recovered the Ring and laid waste to the world of Men, would he--could he--have eventually tried to make war on Aman?