Acropolis

Notes on Acropolis

The namesakes used are Greek, Latin, and Croatian in origin. Here are their pronunciations:

Circinus: Sir-sin-us (us as in we) He is named for the Southern Sky constellation of Latin origin meaning “compass.” It’s not an ancient constellation but one discovered recently in 1977. Circinus is a guide and compass to the traveling band in Acropolis.

Chiron: Ki-ron (like the Greek letter Chi and the name Ron) In Greek mythology, he was the wisest and most just of all the centaurs. Unicorns represent purity and virginity and centaurs normally represented lewdness so Chiron here is so noble he isn’t a centaur, but a very strong and brawny unicorn.

Milko: Meek-o (not milk but meek as in a shy, meek boy, contrary to his personality) Based on Malik. In Croatian and Yugoslavian folklore, Malik Tintilinic is either a mischevious, unbaptized dead child or a good luck sprite. He changes roles and appearances every chance he gets. He wears red from head to toe and dances.

Siljeca: Sea-yek-a (Croatian origin town of my own invention)

Siljecan: Say-yec-an (for the sake of smoothness the short ee is turned to a long ay) Of the town of Siljeca or its inhabitants

Phillipi: Fil-lip-pie (Greek origin: such as the similarly named town Philippi)

Janus, Jan, or Jason: Jan-us, Latin origin derived from the two-faced Roman God. Janus is the Acropolian formal address. Jan, is the honorary familiar, and Jason is the familiar form often used in Domain by close friends or relatives. The name Janus and Jason mean gate. Drought, his last name, means bridge, so Jason Drought is the bridge between worlds.

Kazimir: Kaz-meer, meaning destroyer of peace in Slavic; he is very peaceful but inadvertently gets in the way, almost too peaceful, so it’s sort of a name of irony

Acacia: of the Acacia tree, Greek for guileless and honorable, acacia wood symbolizes resurrection, also could be a Spanish name; Acacius is the Latin variant and Akakios, the Greek and both mean “not evil.”

Andelko: Croatian and Greek origin, meaning Messenger

Conrad: German and Slavic origin meaning brave and wise advisor, German for wind

NaidaDoris: Nie-ee-duh Dor-is, Judgess of Siljeca, name means water nymph from the Greek usage of the word, originally Russian origin. In Greek mythology Doris was the daughter of Oceanus and the sea nympth Nereids. Her full name means “sea nymph daughter of the ocean.”

BorkaBorna: Bor-kuh Bor-nuh, Judge of Agora, in Croatian his name literally means “Fight, fight!”

Velibor: Vell-i-boor, Judge of Medora. His name in Slavonic means “tall pine.” He stands tall at the meetings and doesn’t let anyone knock him down.

MiricaMirza: Meer-i-cah Mer-zuh, Judgess of Acropolis. Her first name is actually English and means miracle and her combined last name is Persian meaning royal lineage so she is a princess of miracles, or miracle-worker. She sides with Acacia when she is accused of stealing Mother’s treasure.

Danika Pierce: Judgess of Domain, presides over the other judges. Her name means morning star. This means she could be Acropolis’s only hope or Satan.

Acropolian first names are often combined with the last. It’s sort of the same structure in Asian societies where last names are akin to respect for elders and the family, but Acropolis also places equal importance on individualism and following inner wisdom, so their forenames come first and are run together really quickly into their last names, especially pertaining to persons of the Judge order when special importance is placed on their individual status. When you must address someone formally in Acropolis, even a peasant of whom you first meet, use their first name in formal form AND last name. (Many characters forget to do this, but they would understand if you are from a different culture).