repulse from Galatea, threw himself
into the river, which was afterwards called by his name. It is,
however, more probable that this river was so called from the
rapidity of its course. Indeed, the scholiast on Theocritus and
Eustathius distinctly say that the stream was called Acis, because
the swiftness of its course resembled that of an arrow, which was
called +akis+, in the Greek language.

Homer, in describing the Cyclops, informs us that they were a
lawless race, who, neglecting husbandry, lived on the spontaneous
produce of a rich soil, and dwelling in mountain caves, devoted
themselves entirely to the pleasures of a pastoral life. He says
that they were men of monstrous stature, and had but one eye, in the
middle of their forehead. Thucydides supposes them to have been the
original inhabitants of Sicily. As their origin was unknown, it was
said that they were the offspring of Neptune, or, in other words,
that they had come by sea, to settle in Sicily. According to Justin,
they retained possession of the island till the time of Cocalus; but
in that point he disagrees with Homer, who represents them as being
in the island after the time of Cocalus, who was a contemporary of
Minos, and lived long before the Trojan war.

They inhabited the western parts of Sicily, near the promontories of
Lilybaeum and Drepanum; and from that circumstance, according to
Bochart, they received their name. He supposes that the Cyclopes
were so called from the Phoenician compound word Chek-lub, contracted
for Chek-le-lub, which, according to him, was the name of the Gulf
of Lilybaeum. Because, in the Greek language +kuklos+ signified 'a
circle,' and +ops+, 'an eye,' it was given out that the name of
Cyclops was given to them, because they had but one round eye in the
middle of the forehead. It is possible that they may have acquired
their character of being cannibals on true grounds, or, perhaps,
only because they were noted for their extreme cruelty. Living near
the volcanic mountain of AEtna, they were called the workmen of
Vulcan; and Virgil describes them as forging the thunderbolts of
Jupiter. Some writers represent them as having armed the three
Deities, who divided the empire of the world: Jupiter with thunder;
Pluto with his helmet; and Neptune with his trident. Statius
represents them as the builders of the walls of Argos and Virgil as
the founders of