“The Possession of Christian Slaves by Jews” Issued by Emperors Honorius and Theodosius II [Holy Roman Empire; Present-day Italy]: “Jews must not purchase Christian slaves nor acquire them as gifts. Let Jews who have impudently disobeyed this decree stop acquiring Christian slaves, and let the slaves themselves be granted freedom if the Jews voluntarily confess what they have done. But under this law we permit this Jewish sect to possess other slaves whom this evil superstition chooses to consider members of the true faith according to its own opinion, or others who follow this faith because of oath or legacy. Let the Jews do this so long as they do not misuse those slaves who are either willing to become Jews or those wishing to remain in the filth of their own sect; but only on the condition that, if these privileges have been violated, .the Jews who are authors of such great crimes shall be punished with capital punishment and also loss of all their property.” [Editor’s note: Author’s footnote dates this law in 417 as Theodosian Code 16.9.4]
“The Persecution of the Jews in the Roman Empire (300-428).” James Everett Seaver. 1952, Page 73; Accessed online 8/2/2011