Questions about the economy

[Easterner]

Up against the wall.

Have read thread and thank players for pointers. ROME: I'm way over garrisoned (came to this on my own but comments here useful for focus), yet occasional landings let those mega-bodies respond to and defeat the landing with ease and no need for central govt relief. except 1x on Sardinia. Rome is massively open to seaborne attack as has no inland cities.

However my problem is "the other guys" if not hard pressed I'd have slowly expanded (220BC owned Italy, Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and Baleric Is: no Blitz)Everytime I expanded I noted my money improved, sitting around building garrisons and it grew worse. However the Spanish arrived with 2 full armies and 5 small ones. This morphed over 10 years to a dozen full armies and 20 some little ones. I cut them to pieces and am still getting over run. forced to cheat money and after spending easily a million bucks am still in same position with a few extra troops (109,000 in maintenance) yet Sp owns Port, Sp, Fr and Alps. Aedui gone to 1 Hungarian city, other Gaul seems wiped out. No matter how many defeats Sp returns over and over hitting me now from 5 directions. Where does it get this limitless manpower from?

Epirotes also on rampage but no sign of limitless armies, though they have alot. They went elsewhere and ignore Rome after 2 small wars.

Playing through BI as R:TW unstable with CTD. AI makes peace then re-attacks on same or next turn which is annoying.

Tried as Epirotes once but Taras started as -5000 bucks a turn. I evacuated city, got armies killed and still was negative and couldn't get enemies to take the black hole city off my hands for free!

So anymore Economic 101 comments or tips on unstopable factions?