How the Shadow fell on Numenor

[Anardil]

Well, all right. I'm going to try a new topic. If this has been discussed before, please let me know.

During the course of the Second Age, a profound change gradually took place in the attitudes of the Numenoreans towards the Valar, the Elves, their fellow Men, and their own mortality. In the end, as we know, this led to king Ar-Pharazon's assault on Valinor and the subsequent destruction of Numenor. My question is: when did this Shadow first fall on Numenor, and what was the initial cause?

True, the most extreme phase of the rebellion did not begin until Sauron was brought to Numenor. It was because of Sauron's direct influence that the Numenoreans turned to the worship of Melkor, slew and enslaved the Men of Middle-Earth, fell the White Tree, and launched their attack on Aman. However, it is clear that the rebellion had started long before Sauron ever came.

It seems that the Shadow first appeared during the reign of Tar-Minastir, shortly after the victory in the War of Sauron and the Elves. Could this victory have had a negative effect on the Numenorean psyche? Perhaps it led to a certain degree of pride and hubris.