After 1 AD, I met Julius and Hatty. Like the AI I had met in the BC, they were far ahead of me in score and research. When I met Alexander in 600, I finally saw that I was ahead of someone, but that was because he was already losing a war to MM. Hatty peace-vassaled to ZY in 720, then they both joined the war against Alex. MM would respond by also peace-vassaling to ZY. Hatty built the AP and called a vote for a holy war, which is when I was brought into it. Good for the diplomatic relations, even though didn't really take part. When Alex capitulated to ZY in 1220, becoming his third vassal, it was obvious who was running away with the game. With no hope of victory, I'd normally retire from the game. But I wasn't being conquered, and some strange (and usually poor) decisions by the AI kept this game...
interesting.
ZY begins plotting, then he and his vassals attack Hannibal in 1490. When they invite me to join in, I accept, hoping to take some territory before Hannibal also capitulates to the growing Ethiopian Empire. I take one border city, but by then Hannibal has lots of cannons and grenadiers to face my rifles and trebuchets, and I can't press my attack. Hannibal could have easily counter-attacked, but he wastes time shifting his defenders back and forth for no purpose. In 1580, Hannibal peace-vassals to Julius, who now enters the war against the other four of us.
Hatty breaks free from ZY in 1635. ZY then votes for me, and I'm elected to the AP in 1660. I manage to capture two border cities from Julius, then Julius makes peace with ZY (and their respective vassals) leaving me and Hatty to face them. I call a vote to end the war, but the motion fails. I capture one more city, but Julius still won't make peace unless I return it. Finally, Hannibal breaks free from Julius in 1735 and makes peace with Hatty. I then can make peace with him and with Julius, leaving only Julius and Hatty at war. One turn later, Hannibal peace-vassals to Julius again, rejoining that war. Before I can call any more votes in the AP (in particular, one to return a city from Julius to ZY), Hatty researches Mass Media and the AP ceases to be. Hannibal recaptures two of his cities from Hatty, leaving her only with her original territory in the far northwest.
I sign a Defensive Pact with ZY in 1780, hoping to gain the time to build up for another war with my neighbors, but ZY begins plotting again, and attacks Julius/Hannibal in 1810. Julius demands some gold from me in 1818, but I refuse. Surely he won't attack me when he's already at war with four others. Then Hannibal breaks free, again. Hatty makes a separate peace with both of them, and then Julius makes peace with ZY and immediately declares war on me.
Luckily, he hasn't repositioned his army, invading with only two cavalry. This give me time to reposition my forces, from where I was hoping to blitz Hannibal.
I manage to capture one more Roman city (Virconium) and then defend against a big counter-attack. Julius and I make peace in 1860. Meanwhile, Hannibal has been mounting a stiff defense against ZY and his allies. ZY has been elected Secretary General. If he had call for a diplomatic victory vote, I'd have been willing to end the game by voting for him, but instead he calls for votes to end the war against Hannibal. I'm
not willing to vote for that, and the motions are defeated.
Hatty is plotting, with Julius as her worst enemy. I'm rebuilding my forces, preparing for another push into Roman territory. In 1906, Hannibal peace-vassals to Julius
for the third time, and Julius is back at war against ZY and his vassals.
While all of these wars were taking place, ZY had been building his spaceship. No matter who gains or loses cities in these ongoing wars, nobody is close to domination. I expect that he'll win the game after that ship is completed. Instead, unnoticed by me and before I can rejoin the war against the Roman/Carthaginian Axis, Hatty wins a cultural victory in 1909.
For a short while, I regretted this move. We quickly took 2 cities from Carthage and were trying to get a third one, when we noticed Julius WHEOOHRN and sizable stacks near my borders. Got peace ASAP 1230AD and scrambled to reinforce my border cities and try to reduce the incoming damage. 
