casse is killing my patience!

[a completely inoffensive name]

So about 8 months ago, I decided to abandon playing Romani campaigns because everytime I defeat Carthage I over extend myself and lose my territory in Spain to Luso and either one of the Gaul factions takes all of Italia.
I really like a challenge though, I actually love campaigns heading into the lower 100s B.C. So I decide to play one of the hardest campaigns of all, Casse on vh/vh (I really do suck, but I figure the best way to get better is to always play on vh/vh). For literally 20 years I build up my forces and my one city waiting for the opportunity to attack, this would have made a good AAR but I am lazy, but either way as soon as I am about to take the last settlement in Ireland (I took all of Britain) my general dies (age 66), all my other guys (3 total) are stationed around my capital with 3/4th full fresh stacks waiting for boats to be made. Its now 190 B.C. Rome has exploded into Gaul (as well as all the western med. islands and parts of Iberia) and is at peace with Sweboz (both are at war with huge Getai) they send three full stacks full of of 1-3 bronze troops (most at half strength though from fighting gauls I assume) over about 4 years (17 turns to be specific). I dont auto calc any of these battles and I fight and replay and fight and replay and during the 4th replay I end up having my final general dieing just as I am about to finish off the third stack (all three Roman stack had no FM's thank god). With my family dieing four times in a row, my patience wore out and I uninstalled EB, only to reinstall two months later. I want to try this campaign again however (I now have had a successful Romani and Carthage campaign) and I desperately needs tips on how to fight off the Roman principes and triarii both militarily and economically. Any ideas?