The Sinni (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, 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 ...

: 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) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = ...

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 pe ...

. 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), Ital ...

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 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 are ...

. The river flows south before curving eastward near Monte la Spina. It flows near

Latronico Latronico ( Latronichese: ) is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 ...

before entering the Parco Nazionale del Pollino. The river is joined by a right tributary near Francavilla in Sinni 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. Th ...

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 Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in ...

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.

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 a ...

(''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 ...

(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 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 map is a 13th-ce ...

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 Agri may refer to: Places * Ağrı Province, eastern Turkey ** Ağrı, the capital city of the province * Ağrı, the Turkish name for Mount Ararat in Turkey * Ağrı Subregion, Turkey, a statistical subregion * Ağrı (electoral district), an ...

) are mentioned in conjunction by Pliny 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 s ...

, 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 Bruttiu ...

. (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 ...

Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...

. (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