Artamir
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Artamir
Artamir was a dunadan and prince of Gondor. He
was the son of
King Ondoher.
Artamir marched to the Black Gate of Morranon with
his father, the
King. Unknown to both them and most of the army was that
Artamir's brother, Faramir I, was at that battle too. It was
against Gondor's customs for a king and all his sons (if he had more
than
one) to march into battle (for fear of the king and the son(s) dying
and leaving Gondor without a king). Unfortunately, Ondoher, Artamir,
and Faramir all perished in the Battle
north of Morranon with the Wainriders.
Gondor was without a king and so Arvedui tried to
make a claim to unify
The North and South Kingdoms. This was rejected and Gondor was
led by a Stewardship until the King returned at the end of the third
age.
Little did the Wainrider who slew Artamir know that
he was the reason
Gondor and Arnor were reunified one-thousand years later. Had he
not,
Aragorn would have come to Minas Tirith to find a King, which would
have prevented him from becoming King himself. That would also have
prevented him from marrying Arwen Undomiel, who was not permitted, by
Elrond, to marry a human any less than the King of Gondor and Arnor,
which would result in the ending of the first line of the Chieftains of
the Dunedain.
Reference: Return of the King
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