Balrog Breaking and Entering

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

The cowards are the ones who survive, because the brave ones fight until somebody kills them. So all the brave Balrogs and other servants of Morgoth have died

You seem to be mistaking bravery for stupidity and to withdraw from a battle that cannot be won is not necessarily a sign of cowardliness. (it can be though)

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Rune Son of Bjarne

You seem to be mistaking bravery for stupidity and to withdraw from a battle that cannot be won is not necessarily a sign of cowardliness. (it can be though)

Nope, but only in this case. Sauron was the typical coward, and I think on the side of evil the characters in LotR (or Sil etc.) were often more or less cowards. Sometimes defining bravery and stupidity depends only on the point of view, but very often you can tell withdrawal from cowardice, and the guys who survived from Angband seem to belong to the other bunch. Because otherwise you would be saying that all the other guys were just stupid not to withdraw, whereas certainly the question at the moment was something different, it was sort of a matter of honor - maybe not of bravery, but kind of stubbornness maybe, "no, we are not going to give up now, after such a long time we just won't admit that we were wrong all the time". Something like Saruman. Something unlike Galadriel. See, that's the difference. Three completely different approaches: Saruman, Galadriel, Sauron. Stubbornness, willingness to admit own faults, cowardly opportunism or just plain cowardice. And I would put the Balrog in the latter cathegory as well, because why would he flee, of all, while all his colleagues did stand and fight?

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by Legate

very often you can tell withdrawal from cowardice, and the guys who survived from Angband seem to belong to the other bunch. Because otherwise you would be saying that all the other guys were just stupid not to withdraw,

Maybe they where. . .

At least when the battle was clearly lost it would make sense to withdraw if possible, thus being able to fight another day. The Balrog who we meet in the third age almost achived victory for the forces of evil, something it would not have been able to do had it been slayen in a last stance at Angband.

I am not saying that fighting against all odds is always stupid, as you cannot run forever, but to insist on it at all times is foolish.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Rune Son of Bjarne

At least when the battle was clearly lost it would make sense to withdraw if possible, thus being able to fight another day. The Balrog who we meet in the third age almost achived victory for the forces of evil, something it would not have been able to do had it been slayen in a last stance at Angband.

I am not saying that fighting against all odds is always stupid, as you cannot run forever, but to insist on it at all times is foolish.

Well, I am not speaking about my opinions on this question at all. I am merely thinking about the Balrog (and the others) now. As for what you said in the first part, personally I don't think he would have thought of anything like that when he was escaping - like, calculating that he might take revenge one day, or carry on the legacy of his master. Of course. He could start to think of destroying a few Gandalfs only when he was safely somewhere in a warm cavern. "Hide-hide!" was probably his only thought when the judgement came upon Angband, quite logically.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

I find it more likely that it entered through the tunnels beneath Moria– you know, the ones "gnawed by nameless things"

But don't you think his wings might have got in the way?

*ducks*