Omar 2 | Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire |
| Sex | M |
| Floruit | E VIII |
| Dates | 717 (taq) / 720 (ob.) |
| Variant Names | Caliph Omar II |
| Religion | Muslim |
| Ethnicity | Arab |
| Locations | Damascus; Damascus (officeplace) |
| Titles | Caliph (office) |
| Textual Sources | Bar Hebraeus, Chronographia, tr. E. A. W. Budge, The Chronography of Abu 'l-Faraj (London, 1932; repr. Amsterdam, 1976) (history); Chronicon Anonymi ad annum 1234 pertinens, ed. and tr. J.-B. Chabot, I = CSCO 81-82 (Paris, 1916-20), II = CSCO 109 (Louvain, 1937) (chronicle); Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De Administrando Imperio, ed. G. Moravcsik, trans. R. J. H. Jenkins (Washington, D.C., 1967) (history); Michael the Syrian, Chronicle, ed. and tr. J.-B. Chabot, La chronique de Michel le Syrien (Paris, 1899-1904) (chronicle); Nikaia, Second Council of (Seventh Ecumenical Council, a. 787) (Mansi XII-XIII) (conciliar); Theophanes Confessor, Chronographia, ed. C. de Boor, 2 vols. (Leipzig, 1883-85, repr. Hildesheim/NewYork, 1980); tr. and comm. C. Mango and R. Scott, The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor, Oxford 1997 (chronicle) |
Omar 2 was son of `Abd al-Aziz (Abdul Aziz 2), grandson of Marwan 1; he became caliph after the death of Sulayman 4 and Sulayman 4's son, Ayub 1, in 717: Chron. 1234, §161 (p. 306). After the death of the caliph Sulayman 4, allegedly with the fleet near Constantinople on 8 October 717, Omar 2 succeeded him as caliph: Theoph. AM 6209 (θνήσκει Σουλεϊμάν, ὁ ἀρχηγὸς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀμηρεύει Οὔμαρ), Mansi XIII 197 (διεδέξατο τοῦτον Οὔμαρος) (mentioned at the Second Council of Nikaia). Theophanes has confused the caliphs Sulayman 4 and Omar 2 with generals of the same names; see Sulayman 1 and Sulayman 4 and Omar 3. In 718, as the new ruler of the Arabs, Omar 2 ordered Maslama 1 to withdraw Arab forces from Constantinople: Theoph. AM 6210, Mansi XIII 197, Chron. 1234, §161 (pp. 306-307). After a great earthquake in Syria, he forbade the use of wine in the cities under his rule, and he tried to force Christians to become Muslims, granting privileges to those who did so and punishing those who refused; he also wrote to the emperor Leo III (Leo 3) trying to persuade him to become a Muslim: Theoph. AM 6210. He imposed restrictions on Christian worship and forbade Christians to ride saddled horses; he also changed the penalty for an Arab who killed a Christian from death to a fine: Chron. 1234, §162 (pp. 307-308). He died in 720 after reigning for two years and four months (ὁ τῶν Ἀράβων ἀμηρεύσας) and was succeeded by Yezid II (Yezid 2): Theoph. AM 6212, Chron. 1234, §163 (p. 307), cf. Mansi XIII 197 (he was succeeded by Yezid 2).
Son of `Abd al-Aziz (Abdul Aziz 2), he succeeded his cousin Sulayman 4 as caliph and ruled for two years and five months; he sent envoys to find out the true situation of the army which under Maslama 1 was besieging Constantinople and on receiving their reports ordered the withdrawal of the Arab forces: Mich. Syr. II 486, Bar Hebr., p. 108. He placed restrictions on the worship and conduct of Christians, but died in the year 1034 Sel. (722/723) in the month Shebhat (i.e. February 723); he was succeeded by Yazid (Yezid 2): Mich. Syr. II 488-489, Bar Hebr., p. 109.
During the rule of Sulayman 4 Oumar (i.e. Omar 3) led the Arab fleet against Constantinople; on the death of Sulayman 4 Oumar (i.e. Omar 2) became ruler of the Arabs and ruled for two years; he was succeeded by Azid (Yezid II; Yezid 2)): Const. Porph., DAI 22, 51ff. (Omar 2 and Omar 3 have been confused).
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