This is not King Lucius Tarquinius Superbus’s Jacket, but it’s an interesting story Turns out, the phrase “tall poppies” comes from a story about a roman king, Lucius Tarquinus Superbus and his son Sextus Tarquinius. The short version is, Sextus sent a messenger asking dear old dad what he should do after becoming one of the most powerful men in his district. Rather than commit himself to paper, Lucius swept his cane across the flower garden, cutting off the heads of the tallest flowers (poppies). The messenger reported what he had seen to Sextus, who took it as an encouragement to get rid of the other eminent people, which he then did. Fun times with family, eh.
