Ooryphas 2 was apparently his family name: Theoph. Cont. II 26, p. 81 (οὗ τὸ ἐπώνυμον Ὠορύφας), cf. Ps.-Symeon 623 (ὁ Ὀρύφας τὸ ἐπώνυμον). Cf. Winkelmann, Quellenstudien, p. 162. When Crete was occupied by the Arabs under Abu Hafs 1 during the reign of Michael II (Michael 10) and Krateros 1 lost his life in an unsuccessful attempt to recapture it, Ooryphas 2 was ordered by the emperor to gather a naval force and make another attempt; his men were known as the tesserakontarioi, from their pay which could amount to forty solidi; according to Theophanes Continuatus, Ooryphas 2 overran a number of smaller islands on which the Arabs had landed men and retook them, but had no success with Crete which remained in Arab hands; Pseudo-Symeon says that they attacked Crete but nothing was gained and many of Ooryphas 2's men lost their lives: Theoph. Cont. II 26, p. 81, Ps.-Symeon 623- 624, cf. Zon. XV 24. 21 (given command of a fleet after the defeat of Krateros 1, he succeeded in restricting the piratical activities of the Arabs of Crete). Krateros 1 had been strategos of the Kibyrrhaiotai; Ooryphas 2 was possibly his successor, but the sources do not say so. He was a prudent and clever man, experienced in warfare (ἀνήρ τις στρατιωτικῆς πείρας, πρὸς δὲ καὶ φρονήσεως καὶ ἀγχινοίας οὐκ ἄμοιρος): Theoph. Cont. II 26, p. 81. A shrewd man (πολύφρων ἀνήρ, ᾥτινι Ὠορυφᾶς τὸ ἐπώνυμον); with the emperor's authority and at his own suggestion, he assembled a special naval force, with men paid extra (cf. above), and succeeded in recovering many islands (in the Aegean) which had fallen into Arab hands; styled ναύαρχος: Genesius II 13.

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