lasses. By the time of the second century Rome was accumulating massive wealth through taxation and resources from the territories they acquired. This lead to the creation of a new bourgeoisie upper middle class called the equestrians; wealth and property were now no longer exclusively reserved for only the aristocracy and nobility. This new class, as well as the honor and fame associated with successful soldiers in war allowed for mobility between classes that was not commonly seen before. This mobility also allowed for equestrians to become publicans, a political position in which they are responsible for managing a province within the Roman Empire. Class mobility is significant because it creates a better standard of life for citizens of Rome and gave rise to many prominent political figures such as Cato the Elder who were able to rise from a lower class. This mobility was often due to military success, creating a larger and lengthier reward to being apart of the military. As discussed previously, the army held many severe consequences for those who failed or betrayed them, but equally grand rewards for those who are successful. Polybius writes, “For the rest of their lives, the men who were saved revere their rescuers like fathers and feel obliged to serve them in every way, as a son would a father. These incentives inspire not only those present in the ranks but also those back home to strive to outdo each other on the battlefield.” (Polybius 377) This passage indicates the social reward such as fame and glory, as well as the tangible rewards such as weaponry and wealth that awaited soldiers that were successful. Men like Cato the Elder were able to use this fame and success from the military to become politicians and hold great sway over the Roman Empire. The incorporation of new cultures, specifically Greek culture, into the Roman Empire is yet another way that Roman expansion falls into a grey area. On one hand Roman culture willingly took much from the Greeks such as the model for their gods and theater. On the other, there was a significant push back against this merger as many element of Roman culture and ideals did not mesh well with the Greek culture and other places that now fell under Roman rule. One example of this pushback was towards the religious cults that were coming to Rome, specifically that of the Dionysus cult, to which the senate responded by implementation legal restrictions on these groups. Cato the Elder was one of the most outspoken in the opposition of Greek culture. Cato very much idealized the idea of traditional Roman values, and the image of the Roman farmer soldier. This is displayed in the writing of Plutarch who writes, “Here he was, the greatest Roman of his time, who had subdued the most belligerent tribes, and driven Pyrrhus out of Ita>