Oh, I forgot to mention the Attrition Meat Wall of Cheapo Doom. As Greeks if you want to focus on your eastern borders first get a foothold in Italia. Then base 6-8 units of militia hoplites in a city and whenever the Romans attack place them across the streets with no room on either side. You then allow the Romans to charge your phalanxes and create a meat wall out of their corpses. It holds the Romans off for a very long time, costs next to nothing and though it usually eventually fails will give you plenty of time to crush the Thracians, Dacians, Ponts, whoever!