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Theodotians (; ; ; f odotine) is a heresy or sect of the second century, which received its name from the name of Theodotus.

This heresy was described at the end of the fourth century by Epiphanius in the Panarion among 80 heresies. Epiphanius knows about the Feodotians only from written sources.

Theodotus was born in Byzantium and was a tanner, although he received a good education. During one of the persecutions against Christians (which Epiphanius does not know), Theodotus was captured with others and was tortured. During the torment Theodotus denied Christ. After the persecution of Christians ended, in order to justify his renunciation, Theodotus creates a new creed. According to this teaching, Christ is not God, but a simple man. For this reason, Theodotus did not renounce God, but abandoned the common man. Epiphanius says that Theodotus previously belonged to the heresy of the alogians. For this reason, as alogians, the Feodotians did not recognize the Gospel of John and other writings attributed to John, especially the Apocalypse.

The early unknown authors quoted by Eusebius of Caesarea in the book "Ecclesiastical History" (probably Epiphanius drew information from here) give more details about Theodotus and his followers. Theodotus lived in Rome at the same time as Bishop Victor of Rome (late second century). Theodotus was the first to say that Christ was a simple man. For this, Victor excommunicated Theodotus from the church. After the death of Victor, two disciples of Theodotus, Asklepiodotus and the changer Theodotus, persuaded one bishop, the confessor Natalia, to be their bishop for one hundred and fifty denarii a month. Natalius was a bishop of the feodotians for some time, after which he repented for apostasy and simony and returned to the Church, where he was received by Bishop Zephyrinus. Eusebius of Caesarea reports that the Feodotians quietly forged the Holy Scriptures; in Holy Scripture itself, the Feodotians diligently tried to find some syllogism to affirm their doctrine. Some of the feodotians believed that he never became God, even at the descent of the Spirit; while others believed that Christ became God after the resurrection from the dead.

Some of the Feodotians diligently studied the geometry of Euclid, admired the writings of Aristotle and Theophrastus, and treated Galen with great respect.

Philastry, in Liber de Haeresibus, devoted chapter 50 to Theodotus.

References
Eusebius of Caesarea. Church history. Book 5. Chapter 28.
John of Damascus. "A hundred heresies in brief"
Epiphanius of Cyprus. Eighty heresies of Panarius, or the Ark. Book two. Of the feodotians
Augustinus. "De Haeresibus ad Quodvultdeum Liber Unus."
Origenis philosophumena sive omnium haeresium refutatio. (Hippolytus) 1851, p. 257
Philosophumena sive haeresium omnium confutatio opus Origeni adscriptum e codice parisino productum recensuit. Hippolytus (Antipope), Origen. Excusum in Typographeo Imperiali de auctoritate imperatoris, 1860. p. 391
Refutation of All Heresies (Hippolytus) Book VII. Chapter 23. The Heresy of Theodotus.
PL 12 col. 1160
History of Christianity
Heretical currents in Christ