One of the more amuzing EB-factions to play and with a rather complex strategy dilemma; Italy or Greece? I´m starting to feel like a donkey between two haystacks, he he!

1. Italy/ Scicily:
Cash-cow that will turn your economy around by the time you´ve taken Messana. Exterminating the fast growing Syrakousians will add almost 10k to your warchest.
2. Greece:
Since you start off at war with the Makedonians and they rarely accept peace-negotiations from the start strike at Pella ASAP and hope that the KH´s will be able to pin the M´s huge army in Korinthos.

What to do, what to do? Both? No not feasible IMO so I tried both strats in two consecutive games.

Italy/ Sicily scenario:
In my first try I gambled that the M´s wouldn´t come to me in Ambrakia/ Epimadnus and gathered all my armed forces in Taras for a weapons upgrade and move on Rhegion, Messana and Syrakousai before the Romans and/ -or Karth. I also disbanded that costly ele-unit with a staggering 2,5k upkeep/ turn.
My economy plunged down to -6k but by the time I had taken Messana and was laying siege to Syrakousai it was picking up. Fortunately the Karth attacked Messana so I could take Lilibeo too and sue for a 10k peacedeal with them.
On my eastern front M still hadn´t managed to get over to my side of Greece and was infact fully engaged with KH in, and around Attike and Peloponnesus.
Time to give them a nasty surprise! Pyrrhus and his, now significant, army jumps ports from Sicily and lands outside Ambrakia, walks through the passes to the east and strike at the unguarded M capitol, Pella. I was able to take it immediately since my spy had done his thingy with the lock-picking.
My first standoff with the main bulk of the M army came on the mountain- slopes just north of Demetrius with a huge advantage in terrain I oblitterated 1700 men loosing just 13. So that was that. Demetrius fell, Korinthos as well before taking on Chalkis and left the M´s in Mytilene as my protectorate. I turn my attention now to the remnants of the KH and swiftly took Athenai and Sparte. With only Rhodes left they too accepted a protectoratestatus.

Greek-scenario:
My second attempt did not go this flawless. As soon as I could I striked at Pella (turn 3) and was immediately confronted with a large M-force and was bogged down a bit until I was able to take Demetrius too. To cut a long story short, after taking Greece including the KH holdings I swiftly moved back to Italy where the Romans had taken Rhegion and the Karth was laying a successfull siege on Messana. Nedless to say I went back to my first game at this point, he he!

Conclusion:
It seems that the initial gamble I did in my first try was the best: take the rebel holdings in Italy and Sicily before moving on the Makedonians and later the KH. Any thoughts on this? Has anyone successfully waged a two front war pursuing both objectives?