Well, I didn't bother to keep playing after I found this horror. I decided to wait until I was done expanding (on a huge map) before I went and bothered starting a war or two. So I go out in 1270, and everyone was still in the middle ages as they should, gunpowder was just found, and I decide to crush my pathetic northern neighbors the Egyptians. The next turn I find horror as the tightly knit Pangea one by one signed an alliance against me. And this was with 14 total civilizations too. When no one would talk with me, not even my good trading partners the Japanese, and since I had no real military defending my little colonies on that side....... I just gave up. I'll wait for my culture to take over.

I had a similar experience. However, after completely crushing one entire civilization, some of the others came around to my way of seeing things.

I didnt start the war though. Being the aggressor comes with a whole set of problems.