Doge Teodato of Venice (715-18 December 770) was the Doge of Venice from 737 to 755, succeeding Doge Orso of Venice and preceding Doge Galla of Venice and in 770, succeeding Doge Maurizio of Venice and preceding Doge Encagilio of Venice.
Biography[]
Teodato was born in 715 to the House of Orsoleo, a dynasty of Catholic Italians. Teodato was the son of Doge Orso of Venice, the Doge of Venice from 726 until his death in 737. He harbored an ambition of becoming the Doge of the Republic of Venice like his father, and he succeeded him on his death in 737. However, he was overthrown in 755 and blinded, and Doge Galla of Venice from the House of Gaulo succeeded him.
In 770, Doge Maurizio of Venice died after a period of illness and Teodato became the new Doge of Venice, starting his second term. However, Maurizio's son Giovanni Galbaio planned his assassination to regain power for the Galbaio family. He recruited people from all classes into the plot, and even Teodato's wife Anna Orsoleo. On 8 November 770 his daughter-in-law Anastasia Orsoleo tried to poison his drink, but he did not drink the wine and found out about the Galbaio family's complicity. However, he did not suspect his wife of having a role in the plot, and he was caught in a deadly arrow crossfire between the scroll depository and a grassy knoll, with a "lone bowman" story paying off.