Changed to playing Gaul -just defeated the SPQR Stack on my version of the River Trebia - parked on Tiber, Roman army tried to ford river, hit them repeatedly with Barbarian Cavalry (not the nobles). Not sure when but have played for 20 years - and 36 provinces. (No Brits, No Romans, No Spanish), Greek cities down to Sparta (that will teach them to break an alliance), Germans on way out (stupid faction - sued for peace, I asked for Trier, they agreed, then the next turn they resumed hostilities), I sacked Corduba, Palma and Caralis the same turn against the Carthaginians. Macedon looks tricky as it holds Athens, Corinth, Larissa, Thessalonica and Bylazorum) and at the moment I have a mainly cavalry-orientated army over there. So maybe Dacia to speed up victory. (Egypt may be coming into play).

Frankly, I could build better boats than the Gauls.