Puzzle 1
Starter clue: C = I
CDQWQSCKWCKGQIRS,CSKGEPAGFCWICSOXBQSOKFVMFCWFCKREEVE.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- R
- S
- T
- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Marcus Aurelius Cryptograms Set 3
6 cryptograms to solve with a pencil. Each letter of the quote has been swapped for another letter, and the same swap holds all the way through.
20 pt ciphertext — the size a newspaper puzzle page never gives you. 26 pt ciphertext with wide letter spacing and room to write. Both sizes print on US Letter with the answer key on its own page.
Printing this web page instead? Press Ctrl+P (⌘+P on a Mac). The navigation and buttons drop away, and the answer key prints on its own page — open it below first if you want it included.
The puzzles
Puzzle 2
Starter clue: S = E
GZKVLUGZNGZNJSNXHYYHVBDNTKGOSJSQBDKXWTOUSSWGZSKQWKVI.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: B = E
GQPVBZBAPRDMRBWMBTMATPDT,HOFTVXBBOBAPNWPRWJBBKODLMNMA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: U = I
OSZXUYRNQWGQRJRNEQWUZDUXSCUZUSZ,GZYSCUZUSZUXUZQWECSMRN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: G = N
GJNEPGMESYYKGANJSGOWSGIEPLEEKPAGJNCJZWKVDOGSNBZKNJDKSZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: B = I
MTQAQBHRNMTBRXRQI:EVVMTBRXHEAQONMTSEWBVBEAERPHTNAM-VBFQP.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- R
- S
- T
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- X
- Y
- Z
Solver's cheat sheet
- Most common letters
- E T A O I N S H R D L U
- Most common 1-letter words
- A I
- Most common 2-letter words
- OF TO IN IT IS BE AS AT SO WE HE BY OR ON DO IF ME MY UP AN GO NO US AM
- Most common 3-letter words
- THE AND FOR ARE BUT NOT YOU ALL ANY CAN HER WAS ONE OUR OUT DAY GET HAS HIM HIS HOW MAN NEW NOW OLD SEE TWO WAY WHO BOY DID ITS LET PUT SAY SHE TOO USE
- Common double letters
- LL EE SS OO TT FF RR NN PP CC
- Common word endings
- -ING -ION -ENT -TION -LY -ED -ER -EST
- After an apostrophe
- T (don't) S (it's) RE (we're) VE (I've) LL (we'll) D (I'd)
Want this on its own sheet? Print the letter frequency chart.
Show the answer key (6 solutions)
- “If a man is mistaken, instruct him kindly and show him his error.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=C B=Y C=I D=F E=R F=H G=T H=X I=K J=V K=S L=J M=W N=Z O=D P=U Q=A R=E S=N T=Q U=P V=O W=M X=L Y=G Z=B
- “Things that have a common quality ever quickly seek their kind.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IX. 9 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=Q C=J D=U E=F F=X G=T H=O I=D J=V K=I L=G M=P N=A O=Y P=B Q=R R=W S=E T=L U=S V=N W=K X=C Y=M Z=H
- “Whatever any one does or says, I must be emerald and keep my color.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=R B=E C=X D=Y E=J F=U G=W H=I I=Z J=K K=P L=C M=O N=L O=M P=A Q=H R=N S=Q T=S U=F V=T W=D X=B Y=G Z=V
- “Consider that everything is opinion, and opinion is in thy power.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=Z B=Q C=P D=G E=Y F=B G=A H=M I=K J=V K=X L=U M=W N=R O=C P=F Q=T R=E S=O T=J U=I V=L W=H X=S Y=D Z=N
- “Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=S B=U C=F D=B E=H F=Q G=N H=Z I=W J=O K=E L=C M=G N=T O=Y P=I Q=V R=K S=A T=X U=L V=D W=M X=J Y=P Z=R
- “There is nothing new: all things are both familiar and short-lived.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=R B=I C=Q D=K E=A F=V G=P H=S I=W J=C K=Y L=J M=T N=O O=B P=D Q=E R=N S=F T=H U=Z V=L W=M X=G Y=X Z=U