The Sinni (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
: Siris or Semnus;
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
: or ) is a 94 km long river in the
Basilicata
it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman)
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...
region of
southern Italy
Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half.
The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the peop ...
. In antiquity, the city of
Siris Siris may refer to:
Geography
*Siris (Magna Graecia), an ancient city in southern Italy
*Serres, a city in Macedonia called Siris by the Ancient Greek historian Herodotus
*Siris, Sardinia, an Italian commune
*Sinni (river) (Siris in Latin), Italy
* ...
lay at its mouth. Near the town of
Senise
Senise is a town in the province of Potenza, Basilicata, southern Italy. It is near Monte Cotugno Lake, one of the largest artificial basins in Europe.
Twin towns
* Busto Garolfo
Busto Garolfo ( Lombard: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in th ...
, a dam on the river was built in 1970-1982, the largest in Europe built with earth. In correspondence of it, it forms the , one of the largest artificial basins in Italy.
Geography
The source of the river is in the
Lucan Apennines west of
Castelsaraceno
Castelsaraceno ( Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' reg ...
and south of
Moliterno
Moliterno ( Lucano: ''Mulitiernu'') is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni of Castelsaraceno, Grumento Nova, Lagonegro, Lauria, Montesano sulla Marcellana, ...
in the
province of Potenza
The Province of Potenza ( it, Provincia di Potenza; Potentino: ) is a province in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.
Geography
It has an area of and a total population of 369,538 (as of 2017). There a ...
.
The river flows south before curving eastward near Monte la Spina. It flows near
Latronico
Latronico ( Latronichese: ) is a town and ''comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' re ...
before entering the
Parco Nazionale del Pollino. The river is joined by a right tributary near
Francavilla in Sinni
Francavilla in Sinni ( Lucano: ) is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, Basilicata, in southern Italy.
History
The town was founded in 1426. It had a charterhouse, destroyed in early 19th century by the Grande Armée of Napoleon, whe ...
before flowing into Lago di Monte Cotugno. The river exits the lake and forms the border between the province of Potenza and the
province of Matera
The province of Matera ( it, Provincia di Matera; Materano: ) is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Matera. It has an area of and a total population of 201,133; the city Matera has a population of 61,204. T ...
for a short distance before entering the province of Matera. The Sarmento River flows into the Sinni as a right tributary at the point where the Sinni leaves the Parco Nazionale del Pollino. The Sinni curves northeast and flows near
Colobraro
Colobraro ( Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Matera, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. The town is positioned on a high hill dominating the valley of the river Sinni, near the town of Valsinni.
Geography
Colobrar ...
and
Valsinni
Valsinni is a village and ''comune'' in the province of Matera, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy.
The village is bordered by Colobraro, Nocara, Noepoli, Nova Siri, Rotondella and San Giorgio Lucano.
History
The territory of the "comun ...
before curving southeast and finally flowing into the
Gulf of Taranto
The Gulf of Taranto ( it, Golfo di Taranto; Tarantino: ; la, Sinus Tarentinus) is a gulf of the Ionian Sea, in Southern Italy.
The Gulf of Taranto is almost square, long and wide, making it the largest gulf in Italy, and it is delimited by the ...
south of
Policoro
Policoro ( Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. With some 17,000 inhabitants, is bounded by the towns of Rotondella, Scanzano Jonico and Tursi. Situated on the coast, its pop ...
.
History
The river Siris is mentioned by
Lycophron
Lycophron (; grc-gre, Λυκόφρων ὁ Χαλκιδεύς; born about 330–325 BC) was a Hellenistic Greek tragic poet, grammarian, sophist, and commentator on comedy, to whom the poem ''Alexandra'' is attributed (perhaps falsely).
Life and ...
(''Alex.'' 982), as well as by
Archilochus
Archilochus (; grc-gre, Ἀρχίλοχος ''Arkhilokhos''; c. 680 – c. 645 BC) was a Greek lyric poet of the Archaic period from the island of Paros. He is celebrated for his versatile and innovative use of poetic meters, and is the ea ...
(ap. Athen. xii. p. 523); but the former author calls it , and its modern name of Sinno would seem to be derived from an ancient period; for we find mention in the
Tabula Peutingeriana
' (Latin Language, Latin for "The Peutinger Map"), also referred to as Peutinger's Tabula or Peutinger Table, is an illustrated ' (ancient Roman road map) showing the layout of the ''cursus publicus'', the road network of the Roman Empire.
The m ...
of a station 4 miles from
Heracleia, the name of which is written ''Semnum'', probably a corruption for ''Ad Simnum'' or ''Sinnum''. The Siris and Aciris (modern
Agri) are mentioned in conjunction by
Pliny
Pliny may refer to:
People
* Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'')
* Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...
as well as by
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
, and are two of the most considerable streams in
Lucania
Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto.
It bordered with Samnium and Campania in the north, Apulia in the east, and Brutti ...
. (Plin. iii. 11. s. 15; Strab. vi. p. 264.) The name of the former river is noticed also in connection with the first great battle between
Pyrrhus and the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, 280 BCE, which was fought upon its banks (
Plut. ''Pyrrh.'' 16). It has been confounded by
Florus and
Orosius
Paulus Orosius (; born 375/385 – 420 AD), less often Paul Orosius in English, was a Roman priest, historian and theologian, and a student of Augustine of Hippo. It is possible that he was born in '' Bracara Augusta'' (now Braga, Portugal), t ...
with the
Liri
The Liri (Latin Liris or Lyris, previously, Clanis; Greek: ) is one of the principal rivers of central Italy, flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea a little below Minturno under the name Garigliano.
Source and route
The Liri's source is in the Mon ...
in
Campania
Campania (, also , , , ) is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the i ...
. (Flor. i. 18. § 7; Oros. iv. 1.)
References
*
External links
{{Authority control
Drainage basins of the Ionian Sea
Rivers of the Province of Potenza
Rivers of the Province of Matera
Rivers of Italy
Braided rivers in Italy