|"Armenelos the golden" by Ralph Damiani|
|Other names||The Golden, City of the Kings, Arminalêth (A)|
|Location||Arandor, nigh Meneltarma|
|Description||Capital of Númenor|
|People and History|
|Created||Early Second Age|
|Destroyed||S.A. 3319, Downfall of Númenor|
|Gallery||Images of Armenelos|
Armenelos, also known as the City of the Kings and Armenelos the Golden, was the capital city of Númenor. It was the fairest of all cities on the island and in later years possibly the largest after Andúnië declined.
It was situated on a hill in eastern central Númenor, in the district called Arandor, the Kingsland, close to Meneltarma. The chief road of Númenor ran through the royal city, eastward it led to the haven of Rómenna while westward it led to Andúnië.
Armenelos was founded as far back as the end of the First Age, when the Edain first migrated to the island. Conceivably Arandor was the first district they settled after landing in a firth that later led to the haven of Rómenna.
Near the end of the Second Age, the Temple was built in the city by order of the King's adviser Sauron and the White Tree Nimloth was burned on its altar and later human sacrifice was performed there.
The city was destroyed in the Downfall of Númenor.
 Other versions of the legendarium
At early stages of writing, the city was called by other names: Númenos, Númar or Nûmar (at first used of what became Númenor). In later developments it was known as Antirion (the Golden). The city's Adûnaic name was Ar-Minalêth or Arminalêth which survived in later drafts of the Akallabêth. Additionally in The Peoples of Middle-earth, Christopher corrected a mistake he made in Sauron Defeated where he said the name Arminalêth was replaced by Armenelos, instead it replaced Tar Kalimos.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry "Armenelos"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "V. The History of the Akallabêth" §7, pp. 145-6
- ↑ Helge Fauskanger, "Adûnaic", Ardalambion (accessed 25 September 2011)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part One: II. The Fall of Númenor, (ii) The first version of The Fall of Númenor", Commentary on the first version of The Fall of Númenor: §2, p. 14
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies — Part One" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 45, November 2003, p. 26
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part Three: The Drowning of Anadûnê: (ii) The original text" §2, p. 347
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part Two: The Notion Club Papers Part Two: Notes" 75, p. 292
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part Three: The Drowning of Anadûnê: (iii) The second text" §20, p. 363