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Yet interestingly there is another geographical reference, the source of which eludes me for the same reasons Formy gave in his post. It's in the Letters.
Tolkien admitted that Gondor is at a similar lattitude to Venice I believe it was. Perhaps what is implied here is a form of city state similar to what pertained in the region we now call Italy. Not an empire model per se, but spheres of influence centred in a city. City states are historically known for instituting informal, diplomatically-inspired, alliances for trade rather than martial conquest.
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I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.
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