How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

[williamsiddell]

Tanais is remote. Is at least 3 turns from the nearest city. Has a permanent 15% unrest penalty. Has fairly high growth. Is a large city.

Zero population growth is an option, but are there any alternatives that do not result in a city stuffed with peasant garrisons?

When Tanais is first captured Scythia is a long way from destruction.

At the point of capture I usually find the next promotion point is 24000 and so major culture penalties persist for a long time.

Currently I enslave several times, but all that does is lengthen the time to promotion when the remaining culture penalties can be removed.

A solution to Tanais could be applied to similar cities all over the map - and I like size 24k cities.

Any ideas?

p.s. I've just checked the last game I played. Just four North African cities and Rome to take - all other cities are mine (no rebel cities). Tanais has a population of 31921 with some buildings yet to construct - but here's the problem - status 80% but 20 peasants.