The Second Age
In the First Age, the cunning and malevolent being Sauron had been the chief servant of the evil demigod Melkor (later called Morgoth) and he was instrumental in Morgoth's many attempts to become ruler of Middle-earth. At the end of the First Age, the Valar (whose power governs the world) unite with Men and Elves to defeat Morgoth, who is captured and cast into the Void. But Sauron (along with other servants of Morgoth, including Balrogs and dragons) manages to escape his master's downfall. Those men who fought on the side of the Valar are allowed to live on the island of Númenor close to Aman where the Valar live, while Middle-earth itself is largely abandoned to Sauron and his minions at the beginning of the Second Age.
Read more about this topic: Of The Rings Of Power And The Third Age
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