When the Ainur experienced the Vision of Ilúvatar before the true making of the world, they gained great knowledge of events that lay in the future of Arda. The Vision, though, did not reveal the entirety of forthcoming history, but came to an end some time before Men reached their Dominion over the world. For that reason, the Valar (who had seen the Vision before they descended into Arda) had great foreknowledge extending into the Third or Fourth Ages, but could perceive little of its future beyond that. The Ages beyond their foresight, beginning at around the time of the War of the Ring, are collectively known as the Later Ages.
Notes
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The dating of the beginning of the Later Ages is not precise; we're told only that they began '...ere the fulfilment of the Dominion of Men and the fading of the Firstborn' (Ainulindalë). This mirrors a comment by Gandalf after the War of the Ring: 'For the time comes of the Dominion of Men, and the Elder Kindred shall fade or depart.' (The Return of the King VI 5, The Steward and the King). Gandalf's words seem to imply that these events were imminent, but had not yet occurred at the end of the Third Age, so the Later Ages would seem to have begun - insofar as they had a specific beginning - at some point during the early part of the Fourth Age.
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- Updated 5 November 2024
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