Ar-Pharazôn

**Ar-Pharazôn**, also known as **Ar-Pharazôn the Golden**, was the twenty-fifth and last King of Númenor. Of all the Kings of Númenor, he wielded the most power, so much power that he was able to challenge the gods. but at last he was defeated and his kingdom, Numenor, sunk beneath the waves by cruel fate.

## Biography

Ar-Pharazôn was the son of Gimilkhâd (same name as the father of Zagar), the leader of the original Kingsmen during the reign of Tar-Palantir of Númenor. Ar-Pharazôn grew into a Man of great strength, stature, and will, not unlike the ancient heroes of the West. In these earlier days, he was good friends with his distant kin Amandil, the future Lord of Numenor and his line of people. However, he was his father's child and thus was instructed in the ways of the King's Men.

Ar-Pharazôn became a man of great pride and aquired a hunger for wealth and glory. He grew restless in his homeland and was often abroad leading like-minded Númenóreans in the wars against the men of Middle-earth. In this he fared well on both land and sea for he won great wealth, and gained great respect as a captain. When he finally returned home, the people rejoiced in him and he was very popular and generous with the wealth and fortunes he won in Middle-earth.

Upon the death of his uncle, Tar-Palantir, who had no son, Ar-Pharazôn decided to wed his daughter, Míriel, which was against her will. As Tar-Míriel was the rightful Ruling Queen of Númenor, Ar-Pharazôn was able to usurp the throne. He gave to his wife the name Ar-Zimraphel, refusing to use the Elven speech, whilst persecuting the last vestiges of the Faithful, the men who would one day form the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor.

As time passed, it came to his attention that Sauron, the Lord of Mordor, was expanding his power throughout Middle-earth and was being called the Lord of Men. Ar-Pharazôn, ever prideful, resolved to challenge him lordship of the earth. In SA 3261, he marched upon Mordor with an army so powerful that Sauron's forces simply deserted him. But Sauron was cunning, and he feigned to be overawed at Ar-Pharazôn's might. The Númenorean king did not trust Sauron, and brought him back to Númenor as a hostage. However, Sauron quickly took advantage of his situation to gain Ar-Pharazôn's trust, and by way of careful flattery, lies and half-truths, he soon became the king's closest and most trusted advisor. He was able to corrupt Ar-Pharazôn, convincing him to worship Morgoth in the hope that he would be able to cheat mortality. Some of the results of Sauron's cunning were the erecting of a Great Temple to Morgoth, intense persecution of the Faithful, and the chopping down of the White Tree of Númenor. Soon the king and his followers were worshiping Morgoth openly and burning innocents at the altar of the temple as sacrificial offerings to appease the false god.

Then, as Ar-Pharazôn felt the bite of old age upon him, Sauron was able to convince him to attack Valinor, the land of the gods, and claim the right to immortality by force. He began the building of a huge fleet, the Great Armament, to attack Valinor in SA 3310, landing on the shores of the Undying Lands in SA 3319. The Valar, rhe cruel gods of the elves, punished the king. they sank Ar-Pharazôn's fleet and all of Númenor beneath the ocean, changing the shape of the world forever

## Legacy and successors

since Ar-Pharazôns golden rule, no true king of the kingsmen have been crowned

the Faithfull, led by the their lord Elendil, became the successor of a new kingdom - Gondor and Arnor. His two surviving sons, Isildur and Anárion followed him into exile and would, in turn, become his successors as well.

Ar-Pharazôn was remembered by the surviving Númenorean lineage, the Adunakhori, by greatest of respect. Despite his errors, he was the first and last Human capable to beat and humiliate the powerful dark lord Sauron by himself and even challenge the will of the gods. In remembrance to this feat, in Umbar was erected a monument to the Golden King of Númenor: a dark crystal globe, on a tall white column, which absorbed sunrays and glimmered in the night for everyone to see. The monument was destroyed when Umbar was taken by Gondor in earlier days