Location information

TARANTO (Ancient city) PUGLIA
  The name of Tarentum (Taras) was supposed to be derived from a river of the name of Taras, which is noticed by several ancient writers. (Steph. B. s. v. Taras; Paus. x. 10. § 8.) This is commonly identified with a deep, but sluggish, stream, which flows into the sea about 4 miles W. of the entrance of the harbour of Tarentum, and is still called Tara, though corrupted by the peasantry into Fiume di Terra. (Romanelli, vol. i. p. 281; Swinburne, vol. i. p. 271.) The more celebrated stream of the Galaesus flowed into the Mare Piccola or harbour of Tarentum on its N. shore: it is commonly identified with the small stream called Le Citrezze, an old church near which still retains the name of Sta Maria di Galeso. Another locality in the immediate neighbourhood of Tarentum, the name of which is associated with that of the city by Horace, is Aulon a hill or ridge celebrated for the excellence of its wines. This is identified by local topographers, though on very slight grounds, with a sloping ridge on the seashore about 8 miles SE. of Tarentum, a part of which bears the name of Monte Melone, supposed to be a corruption of Aulone. A more obscure name, which is repeatedly mentioned in connection with Tarentum, is that of Saturium (Saturion). From the introduction of this name in the oracle alleged to have been given to Phalanthus (Strab. vi. p. 279), it seems probable that it was an old native name, but it is not clear that there ever was a town or even village of the name. It is more probable that it was that of a tract or district in the neighbourhood of Tarentum. Stephanus of Byzantium distinctly calls it chora plesion Tarantos (s. v. Saturion); and the authority of Servius, who calls it a city (civitas) near Tarentum, is not worth much in comparison. There was certainly no city of the name in historical times. Virgil applies the epithet Saturium (as an adjective) to Tarentum itself (Geory. ii. 197; Serv. ad loc.: many commentators, however, consider saturi from satur to be the true reading), and Hrace speaks of Satureianus cabellus as equivalent to Tarentine. (Sat. i. 6. 59.) The memory of the locality is preserved by a watch-tower on the coast, about seven miles SE. of Tarentum, which is still called Torre di Saturo (Romanelli, vol. i. p. 294; Zannoni Carta del Regno di Napoli).

This extract is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD)
• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Per...