Sorry...Have to ask about historical analogy...

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Rumil

I've always reckoned that the relief of Gondor by the Rohirrim was partly inspired by the crusades, except with a happy ending this time!

Gondor representing Byzantium, one half of a formerly great and powerful Empire now to an extent decayed and under threat from the Turks and Saracens, but with the Rohirrim, a force of chivalric hard charging knights riding to their rescue (not that the crusaders were mostly chivalric or knights and they eventually ended up sacking Byzantium, but you get my drift!). Also an element of the relief of Vienna by the Poles maybe?

There is that comment from Tolkien to the effect that, if one examines the map of Middle-earth, one will see that Minas Tirith is right about where Venice is. Even without Tolkien's comment, would we still have to consider the map or are we free to develop our own ruminations about the historical possibilities? Is the map part of the text for interpretation or is it extraneous?

I wouldn't see Harad south of Byzantium. It would seem more probable that, given Minas Tirith is home of the loremasters, Alexandria with its famous library might make a closer fit.

Just talking hypotheticals here.