Mauros 2 was a Bulgar: Mir. Dem. II 5 title (περὶ τοῦ μελετηθέντος κρυπτῶς ἐμφυλίου πολέμου κατὰ τῆς πόλεως παρὰ τοῦ Μαύρου καὶ Κοῦβερ τῶν Βουλγάρων). This title is the only source for his nationality; if identical with Mauros 1 (see below), he was a Bessian. Mauros 2 was one of the rulers of the Bulgars, Greeks (the Sermesianoi, on whom see Lemerle, Les plus anciens recueils Vol. II, pp. 142-143, with n. 213 bis) and other peoples who settled under Kouber 1 in the Keramesian plain near Thessalonike: Mir. Dem. II 5, 291 (τινὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ ἀρχόντων), cf. 292 (where his name is given; τις ἐξ αὐτῶν, Μαῦρος τοὔνομα). For the date, perhaps between 678 and 685 and possibly between 682 and 684, see Lemerle, Les plus anciens recueils Vol. II, p. 161. Mauros 2 was allegedly sent by Kouber 1 to Thessalonike to provoke a revolt there, with a view to capturing the city, and to that end he was supposed to pretend to be in rebellion against Kouber 1 and to wish now to become a subject instead of the emperor (probably Constantine IV, Konstantinos 2); he was chosen because of his reputation for cunning and for his knowledge of the locally spoken language (perhaps a local dialect of Greek), as well as of Greek, Slav and Bulgar: Mir. Dem. II 5, 291 (ἔξοχον ὄντα καὶ πανοῦργον ἐν πᾶσι, καὶ τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐπιστάμενον γλῶσσαν καὶ τὴν Ῥωμαίων, Σκλάβων καὶ Βουλγάρων; the four languages may however have been Greek, Latin, Slav and Bulgar). Once in Thessalonike he persuaded the authorities (τοὺς τὴν ἀρχὴν διέποντας) to send a favourable report about him to the emperor; the emperor replied conferring the title of hypatos on him and sending him a bandon [see below], and also ordering him to be put in command of all the Sermesianoi who had deserted Kouber 1 (λόγον ἔγγραφον στέλλει τούτῳ πρὸς τιμήν, πέμψας ὠρατίωνα ὑπάτου τῷ αὐτῷ Μαύρῳ καὶ βάνδον φιλοτιμίας χάριν, κελεύσας πάντας τοὺς ἐκ τῶν τοῦ λεχθέντος Κοῦβερ Σερμησιανοῦς ἀποφύγους ὑπ' αὐτὸν τὸν Μαῦρον γενέσθαι); once the order was published and registered, Mauros 2 was made strategos over these people (αὐτὸς τούτων ὁ στρατηγὸς ὕπηρχε): Mir. Dem. II 5, 292. The meaning of bandon in this context is unclear; possibly a banner as a symbol of the title of hypatos (see Lemerle, Les plus anciens recueils Vol. II, p. 153), but normally it means a troop of soldiers. It may here refer to a troop of soldiers or else to a symbol of his appointment to a military command. Mauros 2 executed a number of Greeks who knew him from the past and were complaining about him, and then sold their wives and children into slavery; he had great power in Thessalonike, where even the authorities are said to have feared him: Mir. Dem. II 5, 293. He organised his own followers along military lines and always had an armed guard at his place of residence; meanwhile he planned to seize control of the city during the Easter festival: Mir. Dem. II 5, 294. Unaware of his plans, the emperor (probably Constantine IV, Konstantinos 2) ordered Sisinnios 51 to proceed with troops to Thessalonike to reinforce Mauros 2 against Kouber 1: Mir. Dem. II 5, 295-299. Their unexpected arrival, on Wednesday of Easter week, foiled Mauros 2's plans; Mauros 2 then fell ill with a fever and would allegedly have died but for the support of Sisinnios 51: Mir. Dem. II 5, 300-301. Later Mauros 2 and his men were posted outside the walls to the West of the city by Sisinnios 51 to build defence works and facilitate the flight of more Sermesianoi; they remained there for many days: Mir. Dem. II 5, 302. Finally a command came from the emperor to Sisinnios 51 ordering the transfer of all the Sermesianoi to Constantinople, together with Mauros 2 and his followers; Mauros 2 was well received in Constantinople and was appointed archon (ἐκεῖσε δεχθεὶς καὶ ἄρχων χρημάτισας): Mir. Dem. II 5, 303. Mauros 2 had a son (Anonymus 554), who revealed the secret plans of Kouber 1 and Mauros 2 against the emperor and Thessalonike; the allegations were judged to be true when it was learned that Kouber 1 had not touched property or persons owned by Mauros 2, and had not only continued to treat his womenfolk with honour but had increased their honours; Mauros 2 was allowed to live, but was stripped of his rank (ἀξία) and held under guard in a proasteion; he was deprived of his ἀρχή and his στρατεία: Mir. Dem. II 5, 304.

Mauros 2 was probably identical with Mauros 7, patrikios and archon of the Sermesianoi and Boulgaroi, who owned a seal dateable to the second half of the seventh century: Zacos and Veglery 934 = Oikonomides, Dated Seals, p. 38, no. 25. Obv. : + - Μαυρ - ω πατρ - ικιω+. Rev.: (και) [αρ]χο - ντι των - Σερμεσ[ι] - ανων (και) Β - ουλγαρ(ων). The seal gives no further information. See Lemerle, Les plus anciens recueils Vol. II, Commentary, pp. 152-153, 159-160, and cf. Oikonomides, op. cit., p. 38.

The reference to his wives implies that Mauros 2 was a pagan.

Mauros 2 was perhaps made hypatos and archon of the Sermesianoi and Boulgaroi at Thessalonike, and later acquired the higher title of patrikios, perhaps when he went to Constantinople. However, the source says that he was strategos at Thessalonike and became an archon when he went to Constantinople; it is not clear how far one can take these terms literally, and he may have become hypatos and strategos at Thessalonike and later patrikios and archon of the Sermesianoi and Boulgaroi at Constantinople. He was clearly subordinate to Sisinnios 51 at Thessalonike. Lemerle, Les plus anciens recueils Vol. II, pp. 152-153, considered that he may have returned to favour under Justinian II (Ioustinianos 1) and may be identical with Mauros 1, but there is no evidence for this; given the time span, Mauros 1 may have been identical with Anonymus 554, this man's son.

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