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Sauron: Middle-Earth
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Sauron now had the Ithil-stone in Barad-dur. Using it, he came into contact with the two other usable palantiri that remained in Middle-earth. Via Orthanc-stone, Sauron ensnared Saruman, bending the Wizard to his stronger will and making him act in his service. Saruman had plans to conquer Rohan, and this fit in with Sauron's designs by distracting Gondor's chief ally. Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, had the Anor-stone. Sauron could not break Denethor's will, but he showed him images of the might of Mordor that would soon come down upon Gondor.
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Since the earliest versions of The Silmarillion legendarium as detailed in the History of Middle-earth series, Sauron undergoes many changes. The prototype of this character was Tevildo, Prince of Cats, who played the role later taken by Sauron in the earliest version of the story of Beren and Lúthien in The Book of Lost Tales. Tevildo was later replaced by Thû, the Necromancer. The name was then changed to Gorthû, Sûr, and finally to Sauron. Gorthû, in the form Gorthaur remained in The Silmarillion.
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For the next five or six hundred years, Sauron vanished from history. It is unlikely that Sauron "slept" in the sense that the Balrog seems to have curled up under a conveniently huge mountain and dreamed of past debaucheries for the next several thousand years. More likely, Sauron retreated into far eastern Middle-earth and there he could have done anything, such as plant a garden or found a monastery to teach ancient Elves, Dwarves, and Men the Way of Peace. Whatever he did, after a few hundred years Sauron realized he wasn't going to accomplish much -- or else that he could probably get away with doing whatever he wanted, so he launched a new initiative.
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Shocked by the overthrow of his master, Sauron repented (truly at first, if only out of fear). He assumed his most beautiful form and approached Eönwë, emissary of the Valar, who ... could not pardon a Maia like himself. Through Eönwë, Manwë as Lord of the Valar "commanded Sauron to come before him for judgement, but [he] had left room for repentance and ultimate rehabilitation."[24] Thus Sauron now had a genuine chance of rejoining the forces of good, but he would obviously risk being sentenced to long servitude as proof of his good will. Having wielded great power under Morgoth, Sauron was unwilling to face this humiliation, and so hid in Middle-earth.
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[T]he ensuing centuries where Sauron sparred with the Numenoreans for control over what must have been relatively minor territories (probably mostly in the south) may have been time well spent in Sauron's opinion. That is, he was able to probe the Numenoreans for weaknesses, and he must have studied them. It may be that Sauron studied the young prince who eventually became Ar-Pharazon, realized that here was an individual who could be manipulated, and eventually inticed Ar-Pharazon (from afar) to challenge Sauron for mastery over Middle-earth.
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After his master was defeated and cast out by the Valar, Sauron repented (truly at first, if only out of fear) and pled for mercy. But he was unwilling to go to the Uttermost West for judgement, and so hid in Middle-earth.
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