Finished five levels Corsica & Sardinia, Sicilia, Achaia, Thracia and Cyrenacia in that order. Next time I play I'll move onto Aegyptus. If my suspicions serve me correctly, it will take me 2 re-plays to conquer the provinces the Empire takes over, can anyone confirm this?
The strategy I use is a 11x 11 block of roads (eventually plaza), with at least the middle of one stretch of road 2 spaces away from the river. 2 reservoirs are built till one touches the middle of one length of road (to supply fountain). A fountain is placed in the middle of the 11x11 block. The plaza around the fountain is one NW, N, NE, E etc around the fountain till the 8 directions are covered. Then plaza is built from the south , west east and north till they reach the center of each stretch of road of the 11x 11 block.
Houses are built in the corner of each quadrant, in a L-shape pattern. This is down with a 2 house thick border that surrounds the outer perimeter of each quadrant. It should be continuous, except the plaza in the middle. In the 3 remaining squares of each quadrant is placed one garden and 2 shrines. The garden is placed outermost from the center and in the middle of the 2 shrines. The shrines can be destroyed when the housing develops to 4-square dwellings (the one after villa). I still haven't figured out how to get to large palaces without adding small outward branches of road from the 11 x 11 block.
I used this strategy for every level, save Corsica&Sicilia. It only took me 2-3 of these 11x11 blocks to pass each level. As well as trade and industry of course.
Edit: Heres a screenshot depicting the above explanation.
