Final answer:
Carthage was the major African city that rivaled Rome in the early period of expansion. It was a powerful trade empire in the Hellenistic Age, leading to the Punic Wars with Rome over dominance in the Mediterranean.
Step-by-step explanation:
Carthage: Rome's African Rival
Rome's great rival in the period of early expansion was the North-African city of Carthage. Founded by Phoenician explorers, Carthage was situated on a triangular peninsula on the Gulf of Tunis on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was one of the richest and most powerful trading empires during the Hellenistic Age, trading with the Alexandrian empires and occasionally engaging in conflicts with Ptolemaic Egypt and the Greek cities of Sicily.
Despite Carthage and Rome starting as trading partners, the rise in Rome's power led to increased tensions. This rivalry eventually escalated into the historical conflicts known as the Punic Wars. As Rome's influence spread across Italy, Carthage grew concerned about Rome's potential threat to its dominance. The struggle between these two great powers of the ancient world was characterized by warfare, political maneuvering, and a fight for control over trade and territory in the Mediterranean.