Dagor Aglareb

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, as told in the Silmarillion, the Dagor Aglareb (IPA: [ˈdɑɡɒr ˈɑɡlɑrɛb]) was the third battle of the Wars of Beleriand during the First Age, known as the Glorious Battle.

Following their victory in Dagor-nuin-Giliath, the Second Battle, the Noldor of Beleriand let pass their chance to defeat Morgoth quickly by following up and storming Thangorodrim. Instead they established and built their numerous realms, mingling with the Sindar, while watching Angband.

After a time of rebuilding and reorganizing his armies, Morgoth thought to catch the Noldor off guard and test their strength. Under cover of fire and smoke spewing forth from Ered Engrin, the Mountains of Iron, Morgoth sent forth an Orc-host against Dorthonion flanked east and west by armies of numerous small bands of Orcs. The flanking armies advanced through the Pass of Sirion and Maglor's Gap in an attempt to draw the principal Noldorin forces under Fingolfin and Maedhros away from the attack of the main host on Finrod's brothers, Angrod and Aegnor, who held Dorthonion.

In the event, Morgoth's diversionary attacks failed their purpose to divert the main strength of the Noldor. Fighting small battles along the way, the Orcs penetrated through the Pass of Sirion into West Beleriand but were rooted out and hunted down by Finrod and Turgon. In East Beleriand, they were defeated, pursued and destroyed by Maglor and southern forces of the Noldor led by Amrod, Amras and Caranthir.

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