 The city itself was laid out with great regularity, being divided by four broad streets or plateae, each of which was crossed in like manner by three others.Very shortly after its foundation, Thurii became involved in a war with Tarentum (modern Taranto).The subject of this was the possession of the fertile district of the Siritis, about 50 km north of Thurii, to which the Athenians had a claim of long standing, which was naturally taken up by their colonists.