Defensive Game?

[Bhruic]

Selecuia is pretty strung out. You could play Egypt, but you'd be in a rather easy situation.

I'd probably recommend someone like Thrace. Most of the neighbours aren't too aggressive at the beginning, so if you take Byzantium, you'll have a nice little section of land.

Bh

[Baiae]

Pontus isn't bad for that either. I prefer to play like that and Pontus is one of my favourite factions. You can make peace with the Seleucids and then you only have to worry about the Armenians. The Seleucid position is a bit hectic to try to play purely defensively.

[Darius]

I prefer the Macedonians when going for a really nice defensive army style. Those Phalangites will be unmatched in a straight up head to head clash as almost nothing short of an elephant charge or a massive cavalry strike can break their formation, especially if you overlap more than one unit. Due to their extra reach they can take out hoplites before they get more that a couple hits in and any other unit basically has to throw themselves on your sarissa's and endure innumerable strikes before they can even get an opportunity to start attacking anybody.

Add to that the impressive cavalry that they come with to ensure your flanks remain secure, as well as their standard skirmishers and archers, and you got the building blocks for an unmovable wall of troops. Add in the fact that they are located in a region in which you can gain fast and easy access to Thracian Merc's for a nice medium infantry, bastarnae for shock troops, Merc Hoplites in case of an emergency to extend your line, cretan archer's to provide unparalelled archery, mercenary skirmisher's for a decent javelin unit, and illyrian Mercenaries who are abnormally good skirmishers and have an attack and defense value that makes them almost on par to some pre-marian foot troops.

To add to it's value, unlike Selucia who has vast territories to defend with very few geographical defense points, the Greek Peninsula is absolutely littered with hills and mountains that can provide innumerable defensive staging points. Plus it happens to be almost all coastal provinces, meaning you will make an insane amount of denarii through trade on both your coasts.

[m4rt14n]

I hate Egypt, even when I play as them!

[jimmyM]

could try playing Carthage "historically" (hopefully without the losing at the end and being massacred or sold into slavery bit) - give up sicily as Rome advances (not without a fight) gain peace, then start the war again as you march a huge army under your best general up through northern iberia and south france, thorought the alsp and on to the Roman heartland...

[Dooz]

I doubt Rome will give you peace once the war has begun. I still say Greece oughta be your best bet. Give away all the far away provinces and just stay on the Greek mainland. Take Corinth from Macedonia (and maybe Athens for good measure) and you're set. Now defend your head off.

[NightStar]

Give up Rhodos.....I wouldn't recomend that