Rome is a little cheap on this map, as always. You can forgo Mysticism and go essentially Agri - BW -> Wheel -> AH -> IW -> Pottery -> Writing, settle the Wheat + Horse site and Cow/Pigs/Sheep site all without monuments. Then it's simply Barracks/Granary/Whip Praets. You can take out everyone but Zulu with Praets + Horse. I needed Cats for Zulu.
Add more civs. I think it should be something like India/Mongolia/Zulu/Egypt/Viking/Byzantine for the most balance. I'm bout to finish my Rome conquest game, domination isn't worth it