Theophanes was born in Constantinople of wealthy and noble iconodule parents: Isaac, imperial governor of the islands of the Black Sea, and Theodora, of whose family nothing is known.
Theophanes lahir di Konstantinopel dari orang tua Ikonodul yang kaya raya: Isaac, gubernur kekaisaran di kepulauan Laut Hitam, dan Theodora, yang keluarganya tidak diketahui.