It seems to be pretty random. Some in the colliseum forum have been posting that the Romans are too powerful. Some have also been saying that the Romans are too weak. As from what I've seen I'm really not sure, since two out of my three games has had me way in the east where I had no idea what was happening in Rome. Just started a game as Carthage and killed the Scipii leader and took their city in Rome on the 3rd or 4th turn. But in my game as the Julii the Scipii and Carthage were fighting over the city to the south of Carthage. And the Brutii were doing okay but not great. They had taken some land in Greece and the Illyrian coast, but not very much.