Acalandrus (or Akalandros), River
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Acalandrus (or Akalandros), River: Ancient name for a small river in Lucania. It is believed to be one of the streams flowing into the Gulf of Taranto about 16 km S of the river Sinni. Its exact identification with any modern river remains uncertain since there is a discrepancy among the ancient sources as to its location. Some modern sources identify it with the Cavone, while others believe it to be the Salandrella. The Acalandrus is thought to have been a natural boundary between the ancient Greek cities of Heraclea and Thurii. This gave it such political significance that it was chosen by Alexander of Epirus as his choice for the site of the general assembly of Italiote Greeks. According to Pliny the Elder, in Roman times the river was called the Talandrus. The Greek name Akalandros derives from the Indo-European *ekwel-, an extension of the root *akwa- (=water, river). The river Acalandrus lends its name to a canal on the planet Mars.