Easterlings

The Easterlings (often called warriors of Rhûn) were Men who lived in the east (in the land of Rhûn) of Middle-earth, and were enemies of the Free Peoples.

Easterlings of the First Age
During the First Age, the term was applied to the sons of Bor and Ulfang, or the Swarthy Men, who came into Beleriand much later than the Edain, and who were for a part secretly in league with Morgoth.

Sons of Bor
Bor was a leader of Men who came into Lothlann, Beleriand, in the year 463. His sons were Borlach, Borlad, and Borthand. Bor was welcomed by Maedhros, who gave him and his followers land north and south of the March of Maedhros. Bor and his sons swore allegiance to Maedhros, and remained faithful, though he was told by Morgoth to betray the banner of Caranthir. All of them were wiped out during the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.

Sons of Ulfang "the Accursed"
Ulfang also came in Lothlann, Beleriand, in 463, shortly after Bor. He was the father of Ulfast, Ulwarth, and Uldor. Ulfang was welcomed by the sons of Fëanor, and he and his sons swore allegiance to Caranthir. They were given lands to dwell in the north and south of the March of Maedhros. Ulfang and his sons were secretly in the employ of Morgoth, and betrayed the Eldar and Edain during the Nirnaeth Arnoediad in what is now known as the Treachery of Men.

The Easterlings were betrayed by their lord Morgoth, and locked in Hithlum. After the War of Wrath, those that survived fled back over the Ered Luin to Eriador and beyond.

Easterlings of the Third Age
During the Third Age, the term was applied to those Men living beyond the Sea of Rhûn, who were allied with Sauron (for their leader was the second greatest of the Nazgûl, Khamûl) and frequently attacked Gondor at Khamul's master (Sauron's) biddings.

Kataphrakts
The Easterlings were known for their unique type of cavalry known as kataphrakts. These were Easterlings that mounted upon heavily armored horses and wielded a scimitar and broad shield. They were notorious for their ferocity of their attacks and the sheer amount of defensive power that these troops could summon when they were deployed side-by-side. They often carried Bows and Arrows in addition to scimitar and shield. The shield was strapped to the Kataphrakt's forearm, this way the Kataphrakt could toggle between use of bow and use of scimitar.

Wainriders
The Wainriders were a confederation of Easterling tribes who were united by their hate of Gondor, fueled by the dark lord Sauron. Following the Great Plague which weakened Gondor, they started their attacks in TA 1856, defeating the Gondorian army and killing king Narmacil II. They rode in great wagons and chariots (which gave them their name), and raided the lands of Rhovanion, destroying or enslaving its people. Gondor gradually lost all of its possessions east of Anduin to them. The thirtieth king of Gondor, Calimehtar son of Narmacil, defeated the Wainriders at the Field of Celebrant, buying some rest for his land. However the Wainriders struck back in TA 1944, allying themselves with the Haradrim of Near Harad and the Variags of Khand. They managed to kill king Ondoher and all his heirs, but instead of riding on to Minas Anor and taking the city, they paused to celebrate. Meanwhile, general Eärnil of Gondor's southern army had defeated the Haradrim and rode north to defend his king. He came too late to rescue Ondoher, but managed to totally defeat the Wainriders. Eärnil was crowned king. After this defeat the might of the Wainriders was broken, and they retreated east. They still held Rhovanion, but never troubled Gondor again. It later turned out that their attacks were staged by Sauron to allow him to reclaim Mordor while Gondor's watch was diverted.

Balchoth
The Balchoth were a fierce race of Easterlings, who attacked Gondor while under orders of Dol Guldur. In 2150 they overran the plains of Calenardhon and almost destroyed the army of the Ruling Steward Cirion, but were defeaten by the Éothéod under Eorl the Young. Like the Wainriders they rode in chariots and wagons, and they may have been descendants of this people.

Variags
The Variags (in our time, this is another name for the Varangians) were from Khand, and they first appeared in the West in 1944 of the Third Age, fighting alongside the Wainriders. They later appeared during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Little was known about them, but they appeared to be a race of horse-men much like the Rohirrim, although they were fiercely loyal to Mordor.

Weapons
The Easterlings had two principal weapons, the polearm and the scimitar (although they were also known to be skilled archers). The polearm, fitted with a serrated blade and tipped with a spike, was made in two sizes: the nine-foot polearm was used to defend against enemy charges, particularly from cavalry,while the shorter, five-foot one, featuring spikes at both ends, was used in close combat. Each was backed with a curved spike sharpened on the outer edge: on the long polearm this was used to trip or hamstring enemy horses; on the shorter one it was for piercing armor and deflecting enemy blades. It was a truly versatile weapon that could be used defensively and offensively, offering the Easterling immediate retaliation with a choice of four points of attack to use. The three-foot-long scimitar may have been a recent addition to their arsenal, perhaps an influence from their association with Sauron's Orcs, although the rounded pommel, handgrip and guard cast from a single piece of bronze were clearly of Easterling design. The curved blade was used in a downward, diagonal slashing attack and for thrusting. Their Bows were five-foot-six-inch, made of Black wood, and strung with one-sixteenth-inch siver-senew-string. Their three-foot-six-inch arrows were black-shafted arrows with pale-brown (almost white) feathers (three inches long) and had dark-silver steel heads. These arrow-heads were diamond-shaped and three inches long. When the Easterling fired the arrow, it flew 345 yards from the archer to his target. A slit in the back one-inch of the arrow, a fifteenth of an inch wide and a quater-inch deep, is where the string was placed in the use of an Easterling Bow.

Background
In the movie The Two Towers an army of men is entering the Black Gate. The corresponding passage in the book describes them as Easterlings, however, they carry the flag of Harad in the film - a black snake on red ground. Furthermore they wear the typical red cloths as they are often described to be used by Haradrim.