As none could agree which had been born first, the Twins were nam'd Pitt and Pliny, so that each might be term'd "the Elder" or "the Younger," as might day-to-day please one, or annoy his brother.
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Line 16 Vulgarized:
Nobody was standing by with some indelible ink or dabs of different colored paint to mark the twins when they were born so nobody really knows which one is which. They're the human equivalent of a shell game or Three Card Monty (but with only two cards). Because everybody dropped the ball at the birth, the children were given two famous names of people who could famously be referred to as "the Elder" or "the Younger," mostly to be used to manipulate their behavior as they grew older.
Subtext:
I bet there's loads and loads of subtext for somebody willing to fortify themselves with the knowledge of the lives of William Pitt the Elder, William Pitt the Younger, Pliny the Elder, and Pliny the Younger. But that person isn't me. You know how much effort it takes to learn everything you can about just one historical figure?! Plus I'm American so why do I need to know about British and Greek historical figures? I don't even know about American historical figures! Our educational system is sorely lacking!
There also might be some subtext here about how twins are duplicitous monsters who thrive in the knowledge that nobody can ever really know which one is which. Parents will say things like, "Oh, I can tell! There are so many differences in looks and personalities!" But have those parents never heard of make-up or acting?!
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