▁Vis ig oth s ▁controlled ▁large ▁port ions ▁of ▁former ▁Roman ▁territory , ▁including ▁south western ▁Ga ul ▁until ▁ 5 0 7 , ▁and ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁pen ins ula ▁until ▁ 7 1 1 . ▁At ▁the ▁start , ▁Jewish ▁communities ▁generally ▁fl our ished ▁under ▁Vis ig oth ic ▁rule ▁in ▁both ▁Ga ul ▁and ▁Spain . ▁ ▁Vis ig oth ▁Spain ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 5 0 6 , ▁Al ar ic ▁II ▁decre ed ▁that ▁Jews ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁considered ▁Roman ▁citizens ▁and ▁were ▁to ▁live ▁under ▁Roman ▁law . ▁They ▁were ▁given ▁freedom ▁to ▁practice ▁their ▁religion , ▁although ▁efforts ▁to ▁convert ▁pag ans ▁and ▁Christians ▁to ▁J uda ism ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁cur ta iled . ▁Al ar ic ▁also ▁decre ed ▁that ▁the ▁jud icial ▁aut onomy ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁communities ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁respect ed . ▁After ▁S is eb ut ▁took ▁the ▁Vis ig oth ic ▁throne ▁in ▁ 6 1 2 , ▁these ▁privileges ▁were ▁rev oked , ▁and ▁supp ression ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁religion ▁became ▁policy , ▁resulting ▁in ▁attempted ▁forced ▁conversion . ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁brief ▁resp ite ▁in ▁ 6 4 0 , ▁when ▁Ch ind as u inth ▁us ur ped ▁the ▁throne ▁and ▁purs ued ▁a ▁pro - J ew ish ▁policy . ▁His ▁son ▁Re cc es win th , ▁to ▁the ▁contrary , ▁den ounced ▁Jews ▁as ▁" p oll uting ▁the ▁soil ▁of ▁Spain " ▁in ▁ 6 5 3 , ▁and