MineArchiveThe Sack of Erebor
Fictional record. This page describes an incident from a fictional setting, not a real event. Information is based on the cited canon, with adaptations and interpretation distinguished where necessary. It is kept separate from the real MineArchive corpus — see Fictional.
| Date | T.A. 2770 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Erebor (The Lonely Mountain) |
| Type | Fire |
| Fatalities | An unspecified number of dwarves killed at Erebor's gate; several hundred people, soldiers and civilians, killed in the neighbouring town of Dale. |
| Context | During active mining |
| Status | Researched |
The dragon Smaug descended on Erebor in T.A. 2770, killing the dwarves guarding its gate with his fiery breath before turning on the neighbouring town of Dale, killing several hundred people there and burning much of the surrounding land to a desolation. King Thrór and his son Thráin escaped through a secret door; Smaug settled on the mountain's abandoned hoard for over 150 years.
Cause
A deliberate dragon attack, drawn by Erebor's legendary wealth rather than any accident or mining failure.
What happened
Smaug attacked without warning, strafing the dwarves manning Erebor's great gate with fire before turning on Dale — apparently in reprisal for soldiers the town had sent to aid Erebor — and burning it from above, killing several hundred people. He continued ravaging the surrounding countryside afterward, creating the blighted region later known as the Desolation of the Dragon, before settling permanently on Thrór's abandoned treasure.
Aftermath
No authority existed to hold Smaug accountable; the dwarves of Durin's Folk were scattered into exile for more than 150 years until Thorin Oakenshield's expedition of T.A. 2941 led to Smaug's death at the hands of Bard of Dale and the mountain's reclamation.
Recorded claims
Each claim is marked with its basis — explicit canon, MineArchive inference, adaptation only, or fandom interpretation — and attached to the source(s) below. Where tellings disagree, both are kept.
- Smaug attacked Erebor's gate guards directly with fire before turning on Dale, apparently in reprisal for soldiers the town had sent to Erebor's aid. (explicit canon, high) 1
- Several hundred people, soldiers and civilians, were killed when Smaug burned Dale. (explicit canon, medium) 1
Sources
- (primary canon) The Hobbit — Chapter 1, 'An Unexpected Party' — J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937
- (primary canon) The Hobbit — Chapter 13, 'Not at Home' — J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937 (mithril text from the 1966 revision)
- (primary canon) The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A — 'Durin's Folk' — J.R.R. Tolkien, 1955
- (primary canon) The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B — 'The Tale of Years' — J.R.R. Tolkien, 1955
Record created: 25 August 2026 · Last researched: 25 August 2026