Rätsel. Lateinisch/Deutsch

Riddle from another time. "I gain great advantages from my small powers. I open locked houses, but at the same time close those that are open. I guard the house for the master, but on the other hand, I am guarded by him." This riddle comes from the oldest surviving riddle book in the world: that of Symphosius from the 4th/5th century AD. All of his 100 riddles consist of three Latin verses. The bilingual edition invites fans of the Latin language and those who wish to become one to guess along (whether in Latin or German) and provides detailed hints for each riddle, along with an introduction and an afterword. The answer to the riddle posed at the beginning is: clavis, the key.