It must remain doubtful whether it came by degrees or all at once,[65] and whether the right-angled plans of towns like Aquileia[66] or Piacenza belonged to their first foundation, i.e.to about 180 B.C., or to later rearrangements.

But it seems reasonable to believe that a Graeco-Italian rectangular fashion of town-planning did supersede an earlier, irregular, Italian style, and had become supreme before the end of the Republic.
[65] Perhaps about 180 B.C., Mommsen, _Roman Hist._ iii.

206.
[66] Aquileia was set up in 181 B.C.to guard the north-east gate of Italy, and was reinforced in 169.

Its remains, so far as excavated, show a rectangular plan of oblong 'insulae'-- some of 1-1/2 acres (74 by 94 yards), some larger--while, till its downfall, about A.D.450, we hear no word of refoundation or wholesale rebuilding.

But if its original area be the space of 70 acres which is usually assigned, that is not rectangular but a square somewhat askew, which fits very badly with the rectangular street-plan, and one would incline to ascribe the latter to a later date.