# Suppose I just sauntered into Mordor (Spoilers expected)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-i-just-sauntered-into-mordor-spoilers-expected/129016>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 21, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-i-just-sauntered-into-mordor-spoilers-expected/129016 "2002-09-21T19:12:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-i-just-sauntered-into-mordor-spoilers-expected/129016/21 "2002-09-23T16:15:30Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by partly\_warmer \*  
> **Floater** , no I can’t. I get “permission denied”. That’s false advertising, buddy. Pull over and show me your driver’s license. And tax records. And library card.

1. I don’t have a driver’s license
2. I’m a librarian, so I don’t need a library card.

That said: Go to Google image search at [http://images.google.com/](http://images.google.com/) and search for **prsten.jpg**. The picture I’m thinking of is in the top row of the first page of hits.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-i-just-sauntered-into-mordor-spoilers-expected/129016/22 "2002-09-23T21:12:02Z")

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Sauron was a mystery because Sauron was a coward. He only personally confronted an opponent twice in all the ages of Middle-Earth, and both times were well against his better judgment and will. His battle with Huan at Tol-im-Gaurhoth during the Quest for the Silmaril and the fight with Elendil at the end of the War of the Last Alliance were both cases of Sauron being pushed against the wall with no way to run.

When he did have the option of either escape or simpering surrender when Ar-Pharazon captured him, he took it. Of course, that surrender and captivity served a longer-range purpose (the completion of the Rot of Numenor).

He ran at the end of the First Age rather than submit to Eonwe (forgive my lack of diacritics) and return to Valinor to be judged. He ran after Huan gave him a drubbing at Tol-im-Gaurhoth. He ran when Gandalf approached Dol Guldur in the middle of the Third Age. Sauron was a wuss.

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