 the swamps that surrounded Adria); the Tartaro river was diverted north-east into the Philistina canal and other canals (the "fossiones") were dug parallel to the coastline in order to allow inland navigation.The town of Adria and its port on the Adria river flourished in the 6th century BC; new settlements were founded on dry land, inland from the sea, up the Adria and lesser streams.The Adria river was still active while the Greeks settled the area in the 4th century BC, ruled by Dionysius I of Syracuse and his son Dionysius II; the Greeks also maintained the drainage canals, though imposing on them Greek river names