Part 4/8:
Contrary to popular belief, the wizards do age, albeit very slowly. Tolkien states that the Istari appeared in Middle-earth around the year 1000 of the Third Age, giving them an age of over two millennia by the time of the War of the Ring. Unlike the immortal Elves, who cease to age once they reach maturity, the wizards experience a gradual aging process. This fact is illustrated in Tolkien's works, where Gandalf suggests that age affects his physical form, albeit much less dramatically than it does for mortals.