In LotR, What were the Elves doing?

Question

Were they safe from Sauron? Did they have vast armies? Why were they not attacked the way the humans were?

Answer 1

They were protecting their lands with magic. They didn't have enough magic to protect everyone, because Sauron's evil was leeching it all away. Even the Elven magic was fading, and most of the Elven folk were sailing to the Gray Havens, to eternal safety.

Answer 2

Actually it is kind of explained in the Silmarillion. At one point the elves had vast armies but for centuries had been leaving Middle Earth so that by the time of the story there were only maybe three heavens left. Rivendell, the Grey heavens, and the forest of Galadriel. They never really talk about how big Rivendell is or really about the Grey Heavens at all but we know Galadriel's forest was well armed and scared people. Rivendell was sort of that way too. If you read deep you might realise that Galadriel is the Granddaughter of a person who is about as powerful as Sauron. Can you tell I am a LofR nut? Like I said they were leaving. Rivendell and the Grey heavens were far away compared to Galadriel from Sauron. Sauron knew the Elves were leaving and could really care less since they were now so few anyway. He could literally just watch them leave. There were a lot of humans however so he knew he would have to take them on. Not only that but the most powerful group of humans was literally next door and many of the fortresses his troops were in the humans had originally built. So they were the logical first people to attack. And where were the Elves going? They actually refer to it as the undieing lands but it is an island where the gods of the middle earth world live. Again reading deeply you find out that Gandalf, Radagast, Saruman and two others that no one really know what happened too are beings just like Sauron but with their full bodies and kind of running under a set of rules given to them by even more powerful beings. Saruman started breaking the rules and started losing his powers. Gandalf did just the reverse. I digressed again. Sauron never got past the humans so the elves could take their time and years later Frodo and Bilbo take the very last boat to leave the Grey Heavens suggesting all the Elves that were going to leave were gone. And that is why.

Answer 3

What they said above!
Basically, the Elves had mighty magic that protected their lands - Rivendell, the forest of Galadriel and the Gray Havens (not "heavens," BTW). Each of these places was the abode of one of the three Elven rings of power - the ones that Sauron never got his grubby mitts on (unlike the seven Dwarf rings and the nine Human rings, which he corrupted).
Also, keep in mind that in LotR, Sauron doesn't actually attack anyplace until near the end of the great war, working instead through his agents (the Nazgul, aka the black riders) and traitors - Saruman the Wizard, Grima Wormtongue of Rohan, the "Southrons", the Pirates. It is not until the "Big S", old Red Eye, gets nervous about the One Ring that he launches his pre-emptive strike on the nearest of his enemies - the Humans of Minas Tirith. And even then, he fails in his initial assault.
Sauron is a sneaky devil, and pretty intimidating to individuals, but he is far from all-powerful. In fact, we learn in the Silmarillion (a great book, you should read it) that Sauron is a Meiar - sort of an Archangel - and a servant of Morgoth - a fallen Valar (an under-god). But Gandalf the Grey was also a Meiar (his name was Olorin and he is mentioned in the Silmarillion), of the same "rank" as Sauron.
The Elves came to Middle Earth with vast armies, but had been dwindling for most of two Ages (the LotR story takes place at the end of the Third Age). Internal strife, wars, treachery, boredom and homesickness for the "Ultimate West" where they came from originally, weakened the powers of the Elves left in Middle Earth. It was only the Three Rings of Power that maintained them, after all.
Cheers.

Answer 4

Also, to add to the really long answers if they haven't already said this (sorry I just skimmed through!) If you go more in depth to some of the other books, it explains that the Elves were sort of incorporeal. The "Creator" in Tolkien world had given Men and Hobbits the choice of eternal life one earth, or to go to him when they died. The Elves, naturally did die, as it is said in the book. However, their spirits returned over and over, with the same memories or not, I do not know. So, in my opinion, it would have been a little pointless for Sauron to go after them until he could focus all of his attention on them, as they would have just come back anyways. At least the High Elves, like Glorfindol, would have anyways.

Answer 5

-no they weren't safe from Sauron because their power was weakening, and Sauron felt threatened by the elves so he would eventually attack them.
-kind of. did you see the elven archers in the secound movie at the battle of Helms Deep. the movie was The Two Towers.
-because Sauron was conquering the lands, one by one.

Answer 6

No, they weren't safe. They did fight Sauron, but seperately from Mean and Dwarves.

Answer 7

Because they were still living too far from Mordor, yet there were some elves that got exterminated during the war.

Answer 8

I guess they were betting that Sauron didn't know where Rivendell was.

Answer 9

They were having fun running away. Didn't you see how Elrond forced Arwen to go to some place where she would live forever?

Answer 10

they left middle earth and came to our world