Eh it's just hard if they actually bring that massive stack down on you and then for the first while after until you have thoroughly trounced them and can afford to garison your cities. And yeah the scripted savior of all Hellas BS makes you into a fickle ally which pisses everyone off. Still it's only hard to start is what I meant. Especially if yeah you are not the best general or you prefer to play slow and steady like me and not send every able bodied man at the Macedonian wall