The Arctic Poppy and the Tall Poppy Syndrome.

Look beneath the surface. Let neither the peculiar quality of anything nor its value escape you. Marcus Aurelius

My historical research regarding the tall poppy syndrome originated in ancient Greece. From my book  The Tall Poppy Syndrome – The Joy of Cutting Others Down:

Ancient Greece

Periander (625–585 BC), one of the Seven Sages of Greece and tyrant of Corinth, stated: “Hide your misfortunes so that those who hate do not rejoice.” Hide your misery so it cannot be shared with others. This description of envy includes the concept of schadenfreude, and maybe that misery resulted from being cut down in the first place.

Thales of Miletus (ca. 624–ca. 548 BC), also one of the Seven Sages and founder of the first school of Greek philosophy, said, “Better to be envied than pitied.” Better to be a TP than someone who is lacking or afflicted.

Aesop (ca. 620–564 BC) devoted three fables to envy, noting: “The envious suffer in themselves,” “The powerful and the rich are surrounded by dangers,” and we ought “not to compete with the best on account of envy.”

Pindar (522–470 BC), an aristocrat and the most famous Greek poet of the period, stated: “The higher the fortune, the more it excites envy.” The taller TPs grow, the more notice they receive.

He may have become a victim of TPS himself. In support of mediocrity, his peers later attempted to denigrate his work. Pindar then asserted that “one can avoid the attacks of envy if one lives in isolation, far from the destructive pride.”

Herodotus (484–406 BC), the Father of History, wrote: “Envy appears in men from the very beginning.” Periander became a character in Herodotus’s depiction of the first recognized description of TPS.

Herodotus Describes the Tall Poppy Syndrome

“[Periander] had sent a herald to Thrasybulus and inquired in what way he would best and most safely govern his city. Thrasybulus led the man who had come from Periander outside the town, and entered into a sown field. As he walked through the wheat, continually asking why the messenger had come to him from Corinth, he kept cutting off all the tallest ears of wheat which he could see, and throwing them away, until he had destroyed the best and richest part of the crop. Then, after passing through the place and speaking no word of counsel, he sent the herald away. When the herald returned to Corinth, Periander desired to hear what counsel he brought, but the man said that Thrasybulus had given him none. The herald added that it was a strange man to whom he had been sent, a madman and a destroyer of his own possessions, telling Periander what he had seen Thrasybulus do. Periander, however, understood what had been done, and perceived that Thrasybulus had counseled him to slay those of his townsmen who were outstanding in influence or ability; with that he began to deal with his citizens in an evil manner.”

Euripedes (ca. 485–ca. 406 BC), a major Greek tragedian, noted: “the poor, inclined to envy, are deceived by the speeches of the perverse leaders.”

Philolaus (ca. 470–ca. 385 BC), of the Pythagorean tradition, believed envy belonged to the region of the “unlimited, of the stupid, and of the irrational.”

Democritus (ca. 460–370 BC) carried envy into the sociological domain, stating it “is the cause of political division.”

Hippias of Elis (433–399 BC), a sophist, contemporary of Socrates, and authority on all subjects, described “two types of envy: the just one, or envy towards undeserving people when they receive honors, and the unjust one of those who envy good people.” Later he stated: “The envious is afflicted not only by his own sufferings, but by the joys of others” (schadenfreude).

Socrates (470–399 BC) was a founder of Western philosophy and the first moral philosopher. He defined envy as “a painful feeling produced not by the misadventures of our friends, nor the prosperity of our enemies, but by the happiness of our friends…. [Envy] is not the vice of wise men but of stupid ones.” Some of his writing contradicts this, for example, “There are those that cultivate virtue and that envy one another.” In other words, not just the stupid are envious. Ironically, the envious condemned him.

The great Greek historian Herodotus described the metaphor using wheat, not the poppy, a common grain at the time. Aristotle wrote his version of TPS using corn.

Corn was not known to the ancient Greeks or Romans. This discrepancy could have been lost in translation – “heads” is often used in the description of grains and later translators may have assumed it was corn. The common or red poppy is known as the corn poppy in Europe and maybe Aristotle had this poppy in mind.

We know the corn poppy was present because ancient Greeks dedicated the corn poppy to Aphrodite, the goddess of vegetation, love, and fertility. This association links the flower directly to concepts of fertility and new life and confirms its existence.

Aristotle Describes the Tall Poppy Syndrome

(Aristotle used Herodotus’s story but reversed the roles of Periander and Thrasybulus and changed the cut-down crops from wheat to corn.)

“Periander made no reply to the herald sent [by Thrasybulus] to ask his advice, but leveled the corn-field by plucking off the ears that stood out above the rest; and consequently, although the herald did not know the reason for what was going on, when he carried back news of what had occurred, Thrasybulus understood that he was to destroy the outstanding citizens.”

The Roman historian Livy was the first to describe the metaphor using the poppy (see Livy, Tarquin the Proud, & The Tall Poppy Syndrome. It was a matter of time before the rose would be used in the metaphor [see Roses and The Tall Poppy Syndrome(TPS)]. All this stimulated my interest in the poppy’s ubiquity and its origins.

There are over 70 species of poppies, with the most recognized being Papaver somniferum (the opium poppy), Papaver rhoeas (the corn poppy), and Papaver orientale(the oriental poppy). Poppies can grow as annuals, biennials, or short-lived perennials, often reaching heights of over 1 meter (3.3 ft) with flowers up to 15 centimeters (5.9 in) across. The flowers typically have four to six petals and a central whorl of stamens.

Poppies thrive in temperate zones, blooming from spring to early summer. They secrete latex when injured, characteristic of many species in this family. Poppies are relatively easy to cultivate due to their self-seeding nature. They can adapt to various soil conditions and are drought-resistant. The opium poppy is particularly notable for its medicinal properties, as it produces opium, a source of powerful alkaloids like morphine and codeine.

Ancient Greeks linked them to Morpheus, the god of dreams, while in Egyptian culture, they were found in tombs and believed to symbolize fertility and nourishment.

The Arctic Poppy, scientifically known as Papaver radicatum, is a remarkable flowering plant adapted to survive in the harsh conditions of the Arctic tundra. This species exhibits several unique characteristics and adaptations that enable it to thrive in extremely cold and windy environments.

The Arctic poppy typically features bright yellow or white cup-shaped flowers that bloom during the short Arctic summer. These flowers are notable for their ability to capture and retain warmth, creating a microenvironment that helps the plant survive in frigid temperatures.

This low-growing perennial plant has hairy stems and leaves, which provide insulation against the cold and help prevent desiccation. Its compact stature allows it to evade the strong winds prevalent in its habitat.

The Arctic poppy exhibits heliotropic behavior, meaning it can track the sun throughout the day. This adaptation maximizes its exposure to sunlight, which is crucial for photosynthesis in the low-light conditions of the Arctic.

This poppy plays a vital role in its ecosystem. It serves as a primary producer, providing food for various herbivores such as Arctic hares and lemmings. Additionally, it contributes to soil stability and nutrient cycling, essential for maintaining the delicate balance of life in the Arctic tundra.

Despite its remarkable adaptations, the Arctic poppy faces threats from climate change. Rising temperatures and thawing permafrost are disrupting its habitat. Conservation efforts are crucial to ensure the survival of the Arctic poppy and maintain biodiversity in these fragile ecosystems.

The Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) is a major scientific endeavor that provides valuable insights into Earth’s climate history. GISP2 was initiated in 1988 by the U.S. National Science Foundation as part of the Arctic System Science program. Drilling took place from 1989 to 1993 at Summit Camp in central Greenland. On July 1, 1993, the team reached bedrock at a depth of 3,053.44 meters, penetrating 1.55 meters into the bedrock.

The GISP2 ice core was the deepest ice core recovered in the world at that time. It provided a continuous, high-resolution record of climate change spanning over 100,000 years. The core offered insights into temperature variations, atmospheric composition, and other environmental indicators throughout this period.

The core revealed evidence of rapid climate changes in the past, including abrupt temperature shifts during the last ice age. It showed that central Greenland was approximately 14°C colder during the Younger Dryas period compared to today. The data suggested that the warming at the end of the Younger Dryas occurred over just 40-50 years.

After three decades the soil, a few inches at the bottom of the 1993 core, was analyzed (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). The presence of a poppy seed, spike-moss, fungal sclerotia, woody tissue, and insect parts in the GISP2 till shows that tundra vegetation once covered central Greenland, proving that the island was largely ice-free.

It was previously believed the ice sheet had been present continuously since at least 2.6 million years ago when the Pleistocene ice ages began. In 2016, scientists measuring rare isotopes in rock from above and below the GISP2 soil sample proposed that the ice had vanished at least once within the past 1.1 million years. 

The well-preserved tundra confirms that Greenland’s ice sheet melted previously and exposed the land below the summit long enough for soil to form and for the tundra to grow there. Is the ice sheet melting again?

The Arctic poppy was around long before ancient Greece and the description of TPS. The Arctic poppy is courageous and resolute. It may not be as tall as the matilija poppy (up to six feet) nor have six petals, but it is indeed a Tall Poppy.