During the fourth and fifth centuries B.C, the Greek cities came under pressure from native Italian tribes. The most notable, the Lucanians, pushed into the foot of Italy and encroached on the land of the Greeks. Many times the Greek cities appealed for help from the motherland against them. Many times Athens or Sparta sent an army, but the cities never realized a permanent peace.
The Romans were not interested in the Greek cities during this period because they were distracted by invasions from the north and Samnite Wars, which lasted until 290 B.C. In 285 B.C, Thurii and Rhegium appealed to Rome for help against the Lucanians. These appeals forced Rome to create a policy for southern Italy designed to prevent the involvement of outsiders, and signaled the end of Magna Graecia as an independent entity.