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Yo, in my last god-knows how many games, this EXACT SAME pattern has happened:
I enjoy expanding, growing out etc. When I discover bronze working/iron working, there's never anywhere near me, so I set out to colonise places where it is.
At about this time, barbarian axemen start appearing. These guys are strength 5 and can only be built with bronze, meaning I'm stuck with warriors (strength 2) and archers (strength 2/3?). It's complete bs, they always just pwn all my cities and there's feth all I can do about it because I had the bad luck to have no copper or iron near me.
Anyway.
RAAAAAAAAAGE.
Because it's actually a really good game once you get past the 1,000 BC hurdle, or if you get bronze/iron then it's not really an issue. I might try out some of the earth maps, but loathe to do so due to modders' flagrent disregard for system performance.

Do what my wife always did- rush the Great Wall, and restart if you didn't get it before the other civilizations. Barbarians solved! Alternatively, you could go for one of the civilizations with stronger early warriors, like the Aztec Jaguars or the Mongolian Keshik.

Rushing Great Wall does work but you have to go for it from the get go.
Anyway I (semi-) solved the problem by downloading a map script that makes "earth-like" maps, i.e. simulated billions of years of weather effects etc, that spreads around resources more.

Shouldnt Archers with their +City Defense und City Bonus itsself be able to defend your cities. Especially if the get some training to get the first city defense upgrade?

Archers are S3, but get a 50% bonus to defend cities and they get a free attack. Add in a skill or two, fortification bonus, and terrain bonus, and an Archer should be able to handle an Axeman without difficulty.

If you're having trouble, you either need to stop building cities in grasslands and put them on defend-able hills, start building barracks, or have 2 archers to defend the cities on the edges of your empire.