Editing Thurii (section)

=== War and conflict ===
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&nbsp;km north of Thurii, to which the Athenians had a claim of long standing, which was naturally taken up by their colonists. The Spartan general, [[Cleandridas]], who had been banished from Greece some years before, and taken up his abode at Thurii, became the general of the Thurians in this war, which, after various successes, was at length terminated by a compromise, both parties agreeing to the foundation of the new colony of [[Heraclea Lucania|Heracleia]] in the disputed territory.<ref>Diod. xii. 23, 36, xiii. 106; Strabo vi. p. 264; Polyaen. Strat. ii. 10.</ref>

Knowledge of the history of Thurii is very scanty and fragmentary. Fresh disputes arising between the Athenian citizens and the other colonists were at length allayed by the [[oracle of Delphi]], which decided that the city had no other founder than [[Apollo (god)|Apollo]].<ref>Diod. xii. 35.</ref> But the same difference appears again on occasion of the great [[Sicilian Expedition|Athenian expedition]] to [[Sicily]], when the city was divided into two parties, the one desirous of favoring and supporting the Athenians, the other opposed to them. The latter faction at first prevailed, so far that the Thurians observed the same neutrality towards the Athenian fleet under [[Nicias]] and [[Alcibiades]] as the other cities of Italy.<ref>[[Thucydides]] vi. 44.</ref>  Thurii was, in fact, the city where Alcibiades escaped his Athenian captors who were taking him home for trial.

But two years afterwards (413 BC) the Athenian party had regained the ascendency; and when [[Demosthenes (general)|Demosthenes]] and [[Eurymedon (strategos)|Eurymedon]] touched at Thurii, the citizens afforded them every assistance, and even furnished an auxiliary force of 700 hoplites and 300 dartmen.<ref>''Id.'' vii. 33, 35.</ref> From this time we hear nothing of Thurii for a period of more than 20 years, though there is reason to believe that this was just the time of its greatest prosperity. In 390 BC we find that its territory was already beginning to suffer from the incursions of the [[Lucanians]], a new and formidable enemy, for protection against whom all the cities of Magna Graecia had entered into a defensive league. But the Thurians were too impatient to wait for the support of their allies, and issued forth with an army of 14,000 foot and 1000 horse, with which they repulsed the attacks of the Lucanians; but having rashly followed them into their own territory, they were totally defeated, near [[Laüs]], and above 10,000 of them cut to pieces.<ref>Diodorus xiv. 101.</ref>

This defeat must have inflicted a severe blow on the prosperity of Thurii, while the continually increasing power of the Lucanians and [[Bruttians]] in their immediate neighbourhood would prevent them from quickly recovering from its effects. The city continued also to be on hostile, or at least unfriendly, terms with [[Dionysius I of Syracuse|Dionysius of Syracuse]], and was in consequence chosen as a place of retirement or exile by his brother [[Leptines]] and his friend [[Philistus]].<ref>Diod. xv. 7.</ref> The rise of the Bruttian people about 356 BC probably became the cause of the complete decline of Thurii, but the statement of Diodorus that the city was conquered by that people<ref>xvi. 15.</ref> must be received with considerable doubt.{{why?|date=December 2023}}

It reappears in history at a later period, when [[Corinth]]ian soldiers en route to join [[Timoleon]] on his expedition to Syracuse are blockaded there by [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] ships. At this point it was still an independent Greek city, though much fallen from its former greatness. No mention of it is found during the wars of [[Alexander of Epirus]] in this part of Italy.

Later it was so hard pressed by the Lucanians that it had recourse to alliance with [[ancient Rome|Rome]] and a Roman army was sent to its relief under [[Gaius Fabricius Luscinus]] in 282 BC. He defeated the Lucanians and Bruttians, who had laid siege to the city, in a pitched battle and several other successes broke their power, and thus relieved the Thurians from all immediate danger from that quarter.<ref>[[Livy]] ''Epit.'' xi.; [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] xxxiv. 6. s. 15; [[Valerius Maximus]] 1. 8. § 6</ref> But shortly after they were attacked on the other side by the Tarentines, who are said to have taken and plundered their city;<ref>[[Appian]], Samn. 7. § 1.</ref> and this aggression was one of the immediate causes of the war declared by the Romans against Tarentum in 282 BC.