On the name of Amr 2, cf. Theoph. Cont. IV 16 (p. 166) (ὅ τε τῆς Μελιτινῆς Ἄμερ, ὃν οὓτω πως συμφθείροντες τὰ στοιχεῖα Ἄμβρον ἐκάλεσαν οἱ πολλοί). See further below. Possibly identical with the unnamed governor of Melitene, who, when the Romans under the emperor Theophilos 5 threatened to put Melitene to the torch and carry the inhabitants away into captivity, as they had already done at Zubatra (Sozopetra), successfully delayed the emperor with gifts and fine words until the approach of an Arab army forced the Romans to withdraw: Chron. 1234, §210 (II, p. 22). This event probably took place in 837; see Treadgold, Revival, pp. 293-294, with n. 401. Governor (emir) of Melitene in 838: Theoph. Cont. III 31 (p. 126) (Ἄμερα τὸν τηνικαῦτα διέποντα τὴν Μελιτηνὴν). In 838 Amr accompanied the son of the caliph (cf. Afshin 1 and al-Mu`tasim 1) with an army of Turks and Armenians (cf. Anonymus 200) on an invasion of the Roman empire; at a site called Anzen, near Dazemon, they met and defeated a Roman army under the emperor (Theophilos 5); their mission was to test the strength of the Romans before an attack was made by the caliph himself on Amorion: Theoph. Cont. III 31 (pp. 126-128), cf. Zon. XV 29. 11. Omar (sic) was governor (sailita) of Melitene in the year 1146 Sel. (834/835); he raided the lands of the Romans and met the emperor Theophilos 5 in battle; after changing fortunes he defeated the emperor, entered his camp and carried off plunder including the emperor's bed and clothing: Bar Hebr., p. 134.

When Karbeas 1 and the Paulicians fled over the frontier of the empire they went to Amr at Melitene (πρὸς τὸν τῆς Μελιτινῆς τηνικαῦτα κατάρχοντα Ἄμερα: Theoph. Cont. IV 16 (p. 166); πρὸς Ἄμερα ... τὸν τῆς Μελιτηνῆς ἀμῆραν: Scyl., pp. 92-93); he welcomed them and sent them on to the caliph; after the foundation of Tephrike Amr cooperated with Karbeas 1 and Ali 3 of Tarsos in raids on Roman territory; a civil war with one of his colleagues, Skleros 2, distracted him for a time, but then he rejoined Karbeas 1 and they met Petronas 5 in battle: Theoph. Cont. IV 16 (pp. 166-167), Scyl., pp. 92-93. This may be the event described in Theophanes Continuatus IV 23 (pp. 176- 177); according to this source, about the time when the emperor Michael III (Michael 11) reached manhood and after the overthrow of his mother Theodora 2 by Bardas 5, an expedition was mounted against the Arabs under Amr (in c. 856); this ended with the siege of Samosata when the Romans were surprised and routed by an attack in which Karbeas 1 played a prominent role. During the following year when Michael 11 supposedly led a large army to seek revenge, Amr 2 marched against him and they joined battle at a place called Anzen, where the Arabs threatened the emperor and Michael 11 was allegedly rescued from capture only through the leadership and bravery of Manuel (see Manuel 1 and Manuel 6); Amr 2 finally gave the signal to withdraw, being short of fodder and water: Theoph. Cont. IV 24 (pp. 177-179). This story is a doublet of the story told about the rescue of Theophilos 5 by Manuel 1, also at Anzen; see Manuel 6. In the following year Amr 2 led another incursion into Roman territory, supposedly with an army forty thousand strong, raiding the Armeniac theme and the district around Amisos unchecked; he is alleged to have imitated Xerxes and flogged the sea because it prevented him from advancing any further; the emperor mounted a major expedition against him, led by Petronas 5; Petronas 5 found him encamped at a place called Poson, near the river Lalakaon, and caught him and his forces in a trap; in the ensuing battle Amr was killed with all his men; his son (Anonymus 217 = Anonymus 642) escaped but was quickly captured and brought back to Petronas 5: Theoph. Cont. IV 25 (p. 179), Zon. XVI 3. 23-27. The same campaign and battle are also described in the tradition derived from Symeon the Logothete; during the reign of Michael III (Michael 11) Amr 2 led an Arab army on an incursion into Roman territory as far as Sinope, plundering and pillaging; later he led another such incursion, but while withdrawing he was ambushed and routed at a place called Lalakaon by a Roman army under Petronas 5 and Nasar 1; he was killed during the flight and his head was taken to Petronas 5 (cf. Anonymus 45); his death marked the beginning of a period of peace in the east: Leo Gramm. 238-239, Georg. Mon. Cont. 825, Ps.-Symeon 665, 666, cf. Vita Anton. Iun. (BHG 142 Addit.) 15 (leader of the Arab army, defeated and killed by Petronas 5 who beheaded him and took his head back to Constantinople), Acta Davidis, Symeonis et Georgii 31 (p. 252) (Arab commander, defeated by Petronas 5 near Poson on 3 September 863 and killed; his head was sent to Constantinople). For Lalakaon, or Poson, see Ostrogorsky, p. 227 with n. 4. The date was 863/864, soon after the baptism of the Bulgar ruler Boris 1. Amr is said to have once invaded and attacked the Thrakesioi and the district of Malagina; the news supposedly reached the emperor (Michael III, Michael 11) during horse races and he deferred taking action until the races were ended: Theoph. Cont. IV 36 (pp. 198-199). Cf. also Anonymus 51 and Anonymus 53.

He is also recorded in Genesius. Amr was the ruler of Melitene (Ἄμερ τηνικαῦτα τὴν Μελιτηνὴν διέποντος); he was one of the commanders of the Arab expedition sent by the caliph (al-Mutasim 1) against the Romans after the sack of the caliph's home town of Sozopetra: Genesius III 13. He was leader of the Arabs (Ismaelites) near Melitene who inflicted damage on the Romans (ἐξηγουμένου αὐτῶν κατὰ Μελιτηνὴν τοῦ Ἄμερ) after Michael III (Michael 11) became sole ruler; his men routed the emperor during the siege of Samosata: Genesius IV 13. Two years later he led a large expedition against the Romans; the emperor Michael III (Michael 11) came against him with a large force, but Amr put him to flight at Chonarion, near Dazymon; he then nearly succeeded in capturing him at Mt Anzes, but Michael 11 was rescued by the bravery of Manuel (see Manuel 1 and Manuel 6 and cf. above); Amr 2 then withdrew to a place called Dora: Genesius IV 14. Two years later still Amr led another big expedition against the Romans and overran the Armeniac theme, reaching as far as Amisos and capturing a vast quantity of booty and captives, before allegedly ordering his men to whip the sea for hindering his further progress, like Xerxes; a Roman army under Petronas 5 came against him, about which he was informed by a Roman deserter; his officers advised him to withdraw home but he refused and prepared to do battle, marching from Amisos to Abysianos on the borders of Paphlagonia and the Armeniakoi theme, where he made camp on a hill at a place called Porson; he was on one side of the mountain, Petronas 5 on the other; in the ensuing battle Amr 2 was killed with most of his army; his own son escaped but was later captured by Machairas 1 in the theme of Charsianoi; the victory was celebrated in Constantinople at Easter of indiction 10 (Easter 863): Genesius IV 15. See also Omar 4 (possibly the same man). On this man see also Halkin, Anal. Boll. 62 (1944), p. 219, n. 2 ("The Arab general is called Amer (`Amer) by the Byzantine chroniclers and Ammor by the biographer of Sts David, George and Symeon (BHG 494, §31: Anal. Boll. 18, p. 252). He is the emir of Melitene, Omar ibn `Abd-Allah al-Aqta (Vasiliev, Byzance et les Arabes, p. 250) or Omar "le Manchot" (Grégoire, in REG 46 (1933), pp. 37, 44), whom certain authors indicate by the name Amr (e.g. M. Canard, Byz. 10 (1935), p. 283; cf. Vasiliev, op. cit., p. 249, n. 3)").

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