Seleucids and Rebellion...

After coming back from almost total subjugation by the Egyptians, the Seleucid Empire is poised to go further than Alexander ever did...except for two things..

The Romans in North Africa in the old Carthaginian Empire keep on coming at me, coming at me....my Silver Shield Pikemen and Cataphracts are able to contain them...just. I'm getting quite sick of killing the Romans en-mass. Once or twice I've done auto-result and lost quite badly. Until my silver shield legionaries, companion cavalry and armoured elephants hit the front (which takes an age, due to Roman naval domination), its really just a holding action.

In Greece, I've finally pushed forwards, and taken Athens and Corinth - but literally 10 stacks of post-Marian Roman troops have descended on me. Again, they're wearing me down, though I've fortified Athens to a point that it won't fall readily....actually its interesting, in that I have generals and family members literally falling around my ears (25+) and yet I hardly ever run into a Roman general - which admittedly does make it easier.

I know I need to get to the Italian mainland, and Sicilia to stop this onslaught - but the Romans rule the seas, with their allies the thrice-damned Thracians. No matter how many fleets of upgraded quinqueremes I build, my armies have to be off those ships quickly otherwise they wind up in Davidus Jonesii's Locker...

Also, just as I am poised to do this - most of Asia Minor revolts. I've looked at the city scrolls, and a lot of it does have to do with the distance to my capital (which I've moved to Thebes). If I move my capital back closer to the centre of my Empire, say Damascus - Egypt and my African possessions go into auto rebel. How do you manage a large Empire, and stop this from happening?

I'm playing Selucs at present , great fun.

I took Sidon, then asked the Egyptians for map info, they asked if I would be their protectorate if I gave back Sidon , I accepted. !
I then had a secure southern border and a military ally. I gave them Crete as well(which I brought cheaply from the rebels) to get Egypt involved in Europe and then used the whole Egyptian navy to fight the Greeks/Thracians/Sycthians and of course those pesky Romans. As I eliminated each faction these rebel navies helped to destroy my remaining naval enemies.

Meanwhile I'm concentrating my land forces elsewhere and built only a small navy for transportation. Also training up my assassins/spies on the Egyptians preparing for the biggest backstab in History once I have finished off the Romans. ( six armies simulataneously beseiging the Egyptian cities.) which should finish the campaign.

BTW I've mooved capital to Galatia at present , had to exterminate Arabia's revolt but really no problem, I'd advise letting a few peripheral towns go rebel while you tackle the Romans , once thats done just exterminate them a few times. The rebels have no strategic military value.

Also if population gets a problem use the plague(I always leave one unit lying around with plague for this use).

You can also let rebel and reconquer wonder provinces for their added bonuses( which fade with time)

This is total war, deal with your subjects as you would your enemy- ruthlessly.