Theodotos 2 was the son of Michael 4, of the family of Melissenos; by his father's marriage (see Anonyma 2) he was a remote connection of the emperor Constantine V (Konstantinos 7): Scriptor Incertus 359-360, cf. Scyl., p. 11 (son of Michael, of the family of Melissenos), Genesius I 9 (son of Michael Melissenos). The family home was at Nakoleia (in Phrygia): Sabas, Vita Ioannicii 17 (Θεόδοτον τὸν Μελλισσηνὸν ἐκ Νακωλείας ὁρμωμένον). He was known as Kassiteras: Scriptor Incertus 360 (Θεόδοτον ὃν ἔλεγεν (i.e. Leo V) Κασσιτερᾶν), Nic., Chron, p. 120, 79 (Θεόδοτος ὁ Κασιτερᾶς), Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 493C (Θεοδότου δὲ τοῦ Κασσιτερᾶ λεγομένου), Leo Gramm. 209 (Θεόδοτον τὸν Κασσιτερᾶν), Theoph. Cont. I 17 (p. 28) (Θεόδοτος ὁ Κασσιτερᾶς), Zon. XV 20, 1 (ὁ Μελισσηνὸς ... Θεόδοτος, ᾧ διώνυμον τὸ ἐπώνυμονá ἐλέγετό γαρ καὶ Κασσιτηρᾶς), Scyl., p. 11 (ὃν δὴ καὶ Κασσιτηρᾶν κατωνόμαζον), p. 72 (Θεοδότου δὲ τοῦ Μελισσηνοῦ, ὃν καὶ Κασσιτηρᾶν προσαγορεύεσθαι ὁ λόγος ἐγνώρισεν ἄνωθεν), Genesius I 13, cf. Genesius I 9 (where the name is applied to his father Michael). The nickname, which actually means a worker in tin, was supposedly derived from the theatre: Georg. Mon. Cont. 768 (Θεόδοτον τὸν Κασσιτηρᾶν καὶ τῆς θυμέλης τὴν προσηγορίαν ἐπειλημμένον), cf. Vita Nicetae Medicii 37 (ὥστε καὶ τὸ τῆς θυμέλης παιγνίου ὀνόματι τούτῳ προσονόμασαι).

Theodotos 2 was counted a friend of the emperor Michael I Rhangabe (811-813: Michael 7) (Θεοδότῳ τινὶ τῷ κατὰ τὸν Μελισσηνὸν γνησίῳ δοκοῦντι, ᾧ ἐπώνυμον ὁ Κασσιτερᾶς) and features in an anecdote about a prophetess; he supposedly made light to the emperor of a prophecy that the next emperor would be called Leo but made friends with the man to whom he thought the prophecy applied (Leo 108); in this he was deceived: Theoph. Cont. I 11 (pp. 22-23), Zon. XV 20. 3-10. The same story is told by Scylitzes, with the difference that Theodotos 2 identified the correct Leo; he was a close associate of the emperor Michael 7 (τῶν συνήθων τινὶ καὶ οἰκείων Θεοδότῳ): Scyl., pp. 11-12, cf. Genesius I 9 (similar to Scylitzes). A close friend and adviser of the emperor Leo V (Leo 15); early in the latter's reign he was consulted about the iconoclast question and arranged an interview for the emperor with a monk (Anonymus 183) at which Leo 15 was convinced that unless he adopted iconoclast policies his reign had no future; Theodotos 2 knew the monk Anonymus 183 and primed him with what to say: Theoph. Cont. I 15-16 (pp. 27-28) (called first Kassiteras and then Theodotos), Scyl., pp. 14-15, Genesius I 13 (called both Theodotos and Kassiteras), Zon. XV 19. 24-32 (τῶν οἱ συνήθων τινὶ τῷ Μελισσηνῷ Θεοδότῳ, ὁ τοῖς εἰκονομάχοις αἱρεσιώτης ἐτύγχανεν ὤν).

In early 815 Theodotos 2 was a spatharokandidatos and a close acquaintance of the emperor Leo V (Leo 15): Scriptor Incertus 360, Genesius I 9 (Θεοδότῳ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ καὶ οἰκείῳ γνωστῷ), cf. Georg. Mon. Cont. 768 (ἀπὸ σπαθαρίων), Vita Nicetae Medicii 37 (ἀπὸ σπαθαρίων). Theodotos 2 sympathised with the iconoclast views of the emperor Leo V (Leo 15) and was therefore given the tonsure by the emperor, although he was a married man, and made patriarch of Constantinople in succession to Nikephoros 2; the ceremony was at Easter 815: Scriptor Incertus 360 (giving the date), cf. Nic., Chron 79, Theoph. AM 6177, Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 493A (ἀποκείρας ὁ παμβέβηλος, τῷ τῆς βασιλίδος ἐνιδρύει θρόνῳ), Leo Gramm. 208, 209, Georg. Mon. Cont. 764, 768, Theoph. Cont. I 17 (pp. 28-29) (a reward), Genesius I 14, Vita Nicetae Medicii 37, Sabas, Vita Ioannicii 17, Petrus, Vita Ioannicii 18, Synax. Hilarion. Dalmat. 733-734, 29ff., Zon. XV 20. 1 and 10 (οὗτος ὁ τρόπος ἐγνώρισε καὶ ᾠκείωσε τῷ Λέοντι τὸν Θεόδοτον, καὶ ἔσχεν εἰς ἀντάμειψιν τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως). He held office for six years, from 815 to 821: Theoph. AM 6177 (six years), Zon. XV 24. 14 (six years), cf. Nic., Chron, p. 120, 79 (fifteen years). An iconoclast, he encouraged Leo 15 to take measures against the veneration of icons: Zon. XV 20. 11-13 (πεπαρρησιασμένως τὴν κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων εἰκόνων τόλμαν μετεχειρίζετο).

According to the hostile iconophile tradition recorded in Scriptor Incertus 360 Theodotos 2 was ignorant of spiritual matters, knew little of scripture and gave no sign of piety but was a kindly man who gave the appearance of virtue; once he became patriarch he introduced meat-eating to clergy who had never touched it and gave lavish feasts, changing the previous regime of sobriety and gravity to one of laughter and unseemly jests. He is described as a layman only interested in office and titles, without education or understanding, whose only qualification for the patriarchate was his support for iconoclasm: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 493A (Θεόδοτον δέ τινα τῶν ἐν πολιτικοῖς φενακιζομένων ἀξιώμασιν, ἄνδρα κοσμικοῖς ἤθεσί τε καὶ πράγμασιν ἐντεθραμμένον, οὐδεμίας δὲ παιδείας, οὐ γνώσεως ἀγαθῆς μετεσχηκότα, μόνον δὲ τῆς Χριστιανοκατηγορικῆς τῶν Εἰκονομαχούντων αἱρέσεως ζηλωτήν νομιζόμενον). He is also described as simple and an intellectual lightweight: Vita Nicetae Medicii 37 (ἀφελῇ τινα ὄντα καὶ κουφόγνωμον). Styled an ignoramus, he is said to have been more dumb than fish: Leo Gramm. 208 (ἄλογον ἄνδρα καὶ ἰχθύων ἀφωνότερον), Georg. Mon. Cont. 764 (ἄλογον ἄνδρα, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀνδράποδον καὶ ἰχθύων ἀφωνέστερον καὶ μηδὲν πλέον τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐπιστάμενον).

Theodotos 2 attended the iconoclast Council called by the emperor shortly after Easter 815 in the Church of Hagia Sophia, which resumed the persecution of iconophiles: Scriptor Incertus 360-361. Patriarch of Constantinople, Theodotos 2 was a leader of the iconoclasts (ἔξαρχον τῆς τῶν εἰκονοκαυστῶν αἱρέσεως); he received a letter from the patriarch Thomas 60 and a Council at Jerusalem urging him not to persecute those who believed in the veneration of icons; a letter was sent also to the emperor Leo V (Leo 15): Vita Mich. Sync. 6. Letters were sent to Theodotos 2 and Leo 15 following a letter from Theodoros 15, from the patriarch and council of Jerusalem: Vita Mich. Sync. 7. Supposedly he was patriarch when Michael 51 and his followers arrived in Constantinople in May 814: Vita Mich. Sync. 9. According to a story in the Life of Niketas of Medikion (Niketas 43), Niketas 43 and other iconophile hegoumenoi were reconciled to Theodotos 2 during a service when he proclaimed anathema on those not venerating the image of Christ (τοῖς μὴ προσκυνοῦσι τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀνάθεμα): Vita Nicetae Medicii 41. He heard charges brought by the bishop of Mitylene, Leo 117, against Symeon the stylite (Symeon 13) and sent him into banishment: Acta Davidis, Symeonis et Georgii 230, 24-231, 5. He was succeeded on his death by Antonios 3: Nicetas, Vita Ignatii 493C.

Theodotos 2 was patriarch of Constantinople, he was allegedly succeeded on his death by Iannes (i.e. Ioannes 5): Scyl., p. 72, lines 42-45.

Theodotos 2 is recorded on a seal: Laurent, Corpus V 1, no. 3 = Zacos II, no. 2 = Oikonomides, Dated Seals, pp. 52-53, no. 43. Obv.: cruciform invocative monogram of uncertain type, either Κύριε or Θεοτόκε βοήθει. Rev.: Θεο[δο] - τω πα[τρι] - αρχη [Κων] - σταν[τινου] - πο[λεως ].

Theodotos 2 is also recorded in Catal. Patr., p. 291, 23 and in a letter of Theodoros 15 (Theodore the Stoudite), Theod. Stud. Ep. 71. Theodotos 2 is one of the leading iconoclasts anathematised in the Synodikon of Orthodoxy (τοῖς ἀλληλοπροξένοις τῶν κάκων καὶ ἑτεροδιαδόχοις τὴν δυσσεβείαν; see also Antonios 3 and Ioannes 5): Gouillard, "Synodikon", p. 57, lines 173-174.

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