You start off in the Stone Age, and can reach the Tool Age. Do this as soon as possible, so you have a better choice of soldiers available. This is a very simple map, as the Romans will mostly stay in their base, so there's not much reason to build a defense. There's plenty of huntable animals, and building a Dock will let you fish. There's trees all around you, so you won't hurt for wood. Looking for Stone or Gold Mines is a waste of time, as you'll have little use for those resources.