Which was the greatest kingdom... Rivendell or Lothlórien?

[GaladrieloftheOlden]

I thought Sauron's eye was "fixed on Rivendell" at that point because that's where the Ring was. With the Nazgul chasing the Ringbearer as far as the ford, I think it's safe to assume that Sauron was pretty sure that the Ring was in Rivendell.

I agree. As for the greatness part, I think that that is like comparing cats and dogs, or burning hot and freezing cold weather, or skiing and sunbathing. It just matters what you prefer, or in this case, what your definition of "greatness" is. However, I wouldn't say that the eye wasn't usually "fixed" on Rivendell. Elrond didn't say "the eye is fixed on Rivendell, more so than on Lothlorien", did he? He wasn't comparing the two, just stating a fact. Sauron probably did want to conquer Rivendell, or at least get the Elves to leave or something, even if he would probably consider it to be a greater victory if he won over Lorien. Did Tolkien actually compare the two in any of his writings? If so, and one of you knows where, could you please quote it? If not, this could continue to be an interesting debate topic. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]