In the spirit of QuantumBranching's "Old Testament Cosmology" and "Progress Comes to Valhalla", a world where Herodotus and the (very) early Greek philosophers, storytellers, and scientists had their facts right (with some Dante mixed in). Some liberties taken for the sake of story.



Many years have passed, as have many Olympiads, and many prophecies from the Oracle at Delphi (they're always right, in a roundabout way). It's been somewhere between seven hundred and a thousand years since Herodotus drew his last breath, but technology has not progressed to a level beyond that of the early Roman Republic. Some small advances have been made here and there (vertical farming and long-distance transportation via glider lines, to name a few), but whenever someone gets close to starting an *Industrial Revolution, the gods intervene to keep things the way they have always been.



The world is, obviously, flat.



The known world extends to the Pillars of Hercules (Strait of Gibraltar) in the west and the mountains of the Celtic Kingdom in the north. To the east, the Republic of Bactria has control over most of the southeastern edge of the world, with the Scythian Kingdom laying claim to the rest. At the edges of the Kingdom and the Republic, both of which extend about fifty kilometers inland, lies a great plain of grass, trees, and mountains, which stretches on apparently endlessly. Brave travelers have made some of the land habitable, but eventually even the hardiest of men succumb to the great beasts and monsters that inhabit the Endless Plains. Those in India and Scythia whisper of what may lay at the end of it (or if it even has an end) - some believe warriors who live a brave and noble life have a peaceful afterlife at the end of the Plains.



To the south, the known world extends to the end of the Nile River and the vast deserts of the Sahara. The Egyptians, having long conquered the Nubians, have recovered from the permanent state of bad relations with the Greeks since the end of the Trojan War and have built up a long, respectable Kingdom encompassing the entire Nile. The Sahara is sparsely settled, save for a few thriving kingdoms along the coastlines near the Pillars (extending downwards towards the end of OTL Western Sahara). Like the Endless Plains, the Sahara eventually gives way to the Endless Desert, where there is no water, and the hardiest and deadliest of creatures hunt each other and those foolish enough to inhabit the area.



The known world is surrounded by the Great Ocean, which extends on alongside and past the Endless Desert and Plains, apparently endlessly. The further away from civilization and the last known ladnmasses you get, the more dangerous the creatures in the water get: no matter how good you are at sailing or whaling, you won't last long.



The world is, from an OTL perspective, smaller: there are no islands in the oceans past or south of Arabia, more land and mountains in place of the OTL English Channel, and no British Isles. There are also no Americas or island of Japan, and Asia turns into the Endless Plains a few hundred kilometers past the Indus River.



Suffice it to say, there are enough deterrents in place that most people are content sticking to habitable lands. Past the Pillars of Hercules, the story of Odysseus' fate keeps sailors from venturing too far away. Some say if a brave soul is lucky enough and skilled enough, one can encounter the Palace of the Gods, an island where the gods stay whilst they are on earth.



The mass of the earth and the ocean extend about a thousand kilometers downward, after which the crust becomes hollow, and the realm of Hades begins. Those souls who have committed no grievous crimes on Earth and showed at least a small amount of deference to some of the gods go to the Elysian Fields, a wonderful plain filled with enough food, drink, and drugs to last anyone an eternity.



Below the Elysian Fields, the less righteous (or more blasphemous) reside in Tartarus. At the beginning of Tartarus lie the Pauper's Souls - those whose relatives failed to leave a coin (or something of equivalent value) with their body or ashes after they died, or at a memorial dedicated thereto. Charon refuses to ferry these souls unless someone covers for them (he's been generous one too many times; he can't work for free!). Occasionally, someone from the Elysian Fields (or a mortal who has managed to go through the million and one hoops required to make it to the afterlife) will give a pauper a coin, which will take them to Tartarus proper. b



The living conditions vary from Ramada Inn-esque in Limbo (for non-believers who were decent people: nice amenities, but nothing to write home about) to truly horrific for those who have raped, murdered, or desecrated graves or the worshipping places of the gods. Nobody knows what lies below Hades, the earth being apparently endless - and frankly, nobody is eager to find out.



Above the earth, the air remains breathable up to about the top of OTL Mount Everest. Beyond that, a weightless aether extends on millions upon millions of kilometers. Here, the gods look upon and rule over the mortals. Above even the skies, the sun, stars and sky remain endlessly unreachable - someday, someone will finally reach the Moon.



The gods have not directly intervened in human affairs since Odysseus reached his home, and remain unreachable save for a few rare, extremely esoteric summoning rituals.



History followed the story of the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid and afterwards remained similar to OTL until the Peloponnesian War, which ended in a decisive Athenian victory. Sparta continued, in a weakened form, and the two split Greece between them. Cities nowadays are connected by paved roads - while many retain their culture similar to how OTL U.S. states have their own identities, all are united under either the Athenian or Spartan banner. Relations were famously hostile between the two for centuries, until they finally teamed up when the Romans attempted to conquer their lands. They failed, and now Europe is roughly divided between Romans, Celts, Greeks, and Persians.



As of late, some have wondered if the gods will soon intervene once more: people are sacrificing and asking for the help of them less and less, and the Great Powers grow impatient with one another. Will war begin soon? Perhaps. And perhaps Zeus, Athena, and all the others will finally decide it's time to pick a side once more.