Well, the Greek can actually be an okay civ for water maps, although they're not my first choice. You dock your shallows and then your economy is pretty safe. Although ship speed is not as significant as the Hittite range or Yammy HP bonuses, it makes a difference and you can actually achieve naval dominance against many civs.
Land maps on the other hand leaves you at a disadvantage against almost all civs. The economy of a Greek player is nothing remarkable, you have no bonuses and all market techs. The problem is, as you mention, primarily the inability to counter archers.
To survive against any archer civ you will either need cavalry (mostly too expensive to be efficient) or you will have to wall a sizable portion of the map, which then puts you at an economical disadvantage. Choson has pretty much the same problem but has an easier time coming back in the Iron Age, and a slightly better defense with the tower range.
Giving Greece a smaller economical boost like cheaper market techs, or a reduction of the build time of dropsites and defensive buildings, would be one way to reduce the effect of this problem. The other way would of course be giving them an efficient archer counter, bowmen, chariots or camels, that doesn't make much historical sense though.
//The warrior of Isola
"I lack quotes that demonstrate Humor Intelligence or anything about me."
Pineapplefish
Cleidopus gloriamaris[This message has been edited by Dubstepfisk (edited 04-02-2013 @ 10:51 AM).]