EDIT: sorry, just editing my poor advice. what version are you using.
back to the original topic...
I've taken Syracuse and loaded with about 175 troops and 4 prisoner lords. Now I'm just working on getting my army larger and getting good relationship with king, and then hopefully becoming marshal, and finally lead a giant campaign to wipe out all of Hellenic City States and Macedonia at the peninsula block of land that's right across from the Roman Republic (4 towns, 3 castles, 5 villages
it's gonna double the Roman Republic).
As for my armies, I've filled my town with infantry and archers, and I'm carrying around with me about 35 cavalry. I'm really preferring the Mercenary Gallic Cavalry compared to the others I've used, Roman and something-Bodyguard Cavalry. They have some better skills and proficiencies than the Gallic, but the Gallic have better Attributes and their riding skills are equal.
And not related to my campaign: I'm really enjoying the arena and tournament fights way more than I expected. The weaponry is fantastic, and I really love the balance of how each troop is best against another, and how I have to strategize more than I ever did before. And on the subject, I also really like how the spears are all one handed weapons now. Not only is it easier for me to build of proficiency, but I also like that it means it does act like a lance, and actually like how a spear should. I wish that there was an attribute you could add/takeaway from polearms to let them be couched or not. (I also really like the giant groups of spearmen with 4.1m spears; they add a great challenge to playing with cavalry, but whenever I crash into them I kill all and never lose troops
)
I still have more to say after I conquer Macedonia and Hellenic City States, and after that I think I'm going to act as a gladiator for a while and then conquer Rome as a mercenary captain. Till I play more.