Minas Tirith as Constantinople? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

William Cloud Hicklin · 11-22-2007, 02:05 AM

I think Tolkien did in many respects think of MT in Byzantine terms, or rather as a Rome-Constantinople combo (he did once liken Elessar's coronation to the rise of a new Holy Roman Empire).

On the other hand, there's a parallel to Vienna, too- not only the HRE thing, but also the resemblance of the Pelennor Fields to the siege of Vienna in 1683, when the high-water mark of the Muslim assault on Europe was broken (in great part) by the charge of Jan Sobieski and his Polish knights.

11-22-2007, 02:05 AM	#8
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	I think Tolkien did in many respects think of MT in Byzantine terms, or rather as a Rome-Constantinople combo (he did once liken Elessar's coronation to the rise of a new Holy Roman Empire). On the other hand, there's a parallel to Vienna, too- not only the HRE thing, but also the resemblance of the Pelennor Fields to the siege of Vienna in 1683, when the high-water mark of the Muslim assault on Europe was broken (in great part) by the charge of Jan Sobieski and his Polish knights. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.