Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-27472682-20180929222209/@comment-26149161-20181001203751

Your claim wasn't about comparison between Gondor and the Eastern Roman Empire. It was saying that Umbar is the Levant, which it simply isn't.

With regards to Rome and Gondor: yes, there is inspiration there. Tolkien himself called Gondor "an increasingly impotent Byzantium". However, it's some inspiration. Nothing more. Tolkien in fact talks far more about how Gondor is culturally similar to Ancient Egypt!

Ithilion, Discussions Moderator (Auta i lómë)