So, I have a great starting position with bronze and marble in my city radius, and by 2800 bc I have a settler ready to go. Do I send him way far out to the 'super-city' spot about 12 tiles from the capital, or should he colonize a more modest resources-less plot closer by and more militarily defensible?

Basically I'm asking, on Monarch and harder, do you 'stretch' your inital settlers over to the best spot on the map, or do you look more short term and defensively? Do you build your third city immediately after your second and then wait a bit?

Also another question: I'm trying not to get bogged down with wonders or religion, just trying to survive, but that city-radius marble is tempting me to build the Oracle. I already spent time researching Bronze Working and the Wheel, should I beeline for masonry and priesthood or is that just wasting time on Monarch level, Inland Lakes, Catherine?

Edit: Sorry, I just realized I posted this 45 minutes after someone posted basically the same question!