Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = E
XKUEHVTKD'XOCZKEDPDOGEPDHPGJKX,UDYHCDXPYKERVKAPXK,AVURRVKQXVLDUDYAVURRVKQHJKUZKRC.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Marcus Aurelius Cryptograms Set 8
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: C = T
QNIXEP-AXGILKXZCGEQOQECTQCTQKMGZCKXOGCTLEPYEAXEG,EXCQMNQBKTGCTQCTQKAXEGKXOGCTLEP.
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: D = N
EUKWSDEISXXZDMZDEKXXZMKDWKJDPKIFEYDPFZEFSLDDYEJIK,YDPLUYEZEPSKF,YDPLUKIKSDZELSITF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: A = T
YAYNTINAORURNNVJPAIMRVJAWYNUIONAVOAZPYOTYOE,GIJAWKNAWIKBYZAMRTIJRXROAZRAIBVJENVZZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: L = T
TPPVWLLFXROAWOWXRWALFPBJXJALBACLPTPPVWLLFCD;GPSXRLFXAKPRAXALALFCSCKPQCSUPGLFUTXGC.
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: F = E
UDLYFPFGDLVVFKHYSFPFGAQLK,YDWHWHBSGYDFWKYFGFHYSBYDFJKWPFGHLT:YDWHQWCDYIFHJBBWZWFKY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
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- T
- U
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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)
- “Search men's governing principles, and consider the wise, what they shun and what they cleave to.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IV. 38 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=X C=O D=N E=R F=B G=P H=C I=Z J=L K=E L=U M=F N=Q O=G P=I Q=Y R=T S=K T=M U=A V=H W=J X=S Y=D Z=V
- “A wrong-doer is often a man that has left something undone, not always he that has done something.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IX. 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=D B=Y C=T D=K E=N F=P G=E H=X I=R J=Z K=S L=I M=L N=W O=M P=G Q=A R=V S=C T=H U=Q V=J W=B X=O Y=U Z=F
- “The controlling Intelligence understands its own nature, and what it does, and whereon it works.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, VI. 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=J C=P D=N E=T F=S G=M H=Z I=R J=U K=E L=W M=G N=F O=X P=D Q=V R=Y S=O T=K U=H V=B W=C X=L Y=A Z=I
- “It is most necessary to bear this constantly in mind, for thus thou wilt be more gentle towards all.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=T B=W C=Q D=Z E=D F=V G=F H=X I=O J=R K=U L=P M=B N=S O=N P=Y Q=K R=E S=J T=M U=C V=A W=H X=G Y=I Z=L
- “Look at things again as thou didst use to look at them; for in this consists the recovery of thy life.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=S B=U C=E D=M E=B F=H G=F H=J I=Z J=D K=C L=T M=X N=Q O=G P=O Q=V R=N S=R T=L U=Y V=K W=A X=I Y=W Z=P
- “Whatever happens to every man, this is for the interest of the universal: this might be sufficient.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=Y B=F C=G D=H E=D F=E G=R H=S I=B J=U K=N L=A M=Q N=Z O=X P=V Q=M R=J S=O T=L U=W V=P W=I X=K Y=T Z=C