I'd call it one of those unlucky games, especially if you've been able to make it work before.

The problem with "house rules", are that the AI doesn't play by them. It will act as a perfect gentleman, and ignore that fact that its neighbour has almost undefended cities, that is if the neighbour is another ai. How many times, have you seen two livelong ai enemies suddenly declare peace, just because you the player have moved into their vicinity.

And pure and simply, the ai is programmed to attack the player if at all possible. Unless I'm Rome or Carthage, early blitzing is the order of the day, just to get an economy and some peace and quiet. Pontos shares just too many land borders, I reckon you have to take all of modern Turkey, then leave a full stack in Byzantion, and a full stack fort on the isthmus border (sw of Byzantion). Then you can hopefully get a little peace.

Best example of uncalled for ai behavior--current campaign Im Epiros. I blitz Greece and leave Macedon with just Mytilene, KH with just Rhodes. Buffer Slave cities between me and Getai. I very slowly (with one 3/4 stack amazingly and no cheating;)) completely wipe out Rome. I really, really didn't want to, but they just won't make peace or leave me alone. I have buffer states to North, between me and Gauls. So I can relax, and do so, fighting not a single battle (excepting rebels for 20 yrs). Eventually, I decide to take Sicily, but leave Carthage alone.

Now here's the uncalled for behaviour--I build a very nice strong army, and easily take Messana (note it hadn't been touched, the Slave garrison was at full strength). The very next season, TWO full stack non-merc Carthage Armies beseige my full stack in Messana. I won, just about. 2 turns later another full Carthage stack, this time they must have hired every Mercenary in that part of the world...

The point, what on earth is it sitting there for with 2 full stacks, when it could have had Messana and Syracuse easily? (both slave). There are some triggers somewhere in the ai, that suddenly turn everyone into slavering maniacs. Must...killlllll.....the....human...

It gets a bit old though. I suppose the original creators or RTW never imagined elaborate mods like EB, and people playing with "house rules" or "historically"...No, the RTW engine is really only designed to be played as Rome, and the [is border city ownership = player , then kiiiiiiiillllll] overide kicks in, to give the original Rome player a bit of a challenge, and the heroic "its us against the world" feeling...

Shame really.