The Jewish Communities in the Social Fabric of Latin Greece 285
wealth, economic activities, and the grant of special permissions account for
Jewish residence and the operation of Jewish shops beyond the prescribed
boundaries. Time and again the Venetian authorities issued new regulations
to enforce segregation or to enlarge the space allotted to Jewish residence.155
As noted above, a Jewish quarter located outside the urban wall of Patras is
attested in 1429. It is unclear whether it already existed in 1399, since a Jewess
owned then two houses within the city. One may wonder whether the Jews
were relocated in a concentrated neighbourhood during the period of Venetian
rule, which extended from 1408 to 1414,156 in accordance with Venice’s policy in
its Greek possessions. As for Genoese Chios, it is doubtful that the settling of
Jews in the fortified area within the city was enforced by the Genoese authori-
ties. Rather, the Jews must have welcomed it, since it was a protective measure.
Some Jews nevertheless resided later in other sections of the city.157
Individual and Collective Social Interaction Between Jews and
Christians
Venetian Crete is the only region of Latin Greece for which we have detailed
evidence regarding social relations between Jews and Christians, both Greeks
and Latins. The most common and sustained interaction at the individual level
occurred in everyday economic life, both in urban centres and in the coun-
tryside. In rural areas Jews interacted mostly with Greek producers. Although
the internal Jewish network dealing with the production, transportation and
distribution of kosher commodities was a closed circuit, its operation required
close cooperation with Christians regarding capital investment, credit, busi-
ness patterns, production, and delivery of the produce. It was, therefore, partly
integrated within the regular commercial network. Jewish money-lending
was yet another field of interaction with Christians. Joint business ventures
between Jews and Christians were common at various levels of society in a
variety of ways, whether in investments of capital or the practice of crafts.
Jewish medical practitioners were in constant contact with Christians. The
recourse of Jews both to Latin and Greek notaries was indispensable in the
realm of economic activity, yet also extended to documents pertaining to pri-
vate law. Christian employees worked in Jewish homes and businesses.
155 Jacoby, “Venice and the Venetian Jews,” pp. 37–38; see also above.
156 Gerland, Neue Quellen, pp. 55–60.
157 See above, pp. 273, 286. Argenti, The Religious Minorities, pp. 116–22, considers the Jewish
quarter of Chios a ghetto, yet his arguments may be safely dismissed.