XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm   
      
   On Sun, 11 Nov 2012 20:08:31 +0000 (UTC), Thomas Koenig wrote:   
   >   
   > On 2012-11-11, Stan Brown  wrote:   
   >   
   > > In the Third Age I would not count   
   > > Gondor, which was more like the Holy Roman Empire than a nation-   
   > > state;   
   >   
   > Why is that?  I always had thought that Gondor more closely   
   > resembled Byzantinum - centralized control, a capital city,   
   > slow waning of power etc.   
      
   I think that Minas Tirith resembled Byzantium, as you say; but Gondor   
   as a whole was more akin to the Holy Roman Empire.  The various   
   territories owed a nominal allegiance to he Emperor, but in practice   
   they went their own way. Even Rohan might easily have decided to   
   ignore Gondor's call for help; the messenger implied as much in his   
   pleading with Théoden to honor the treaty.   
      
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