Puzzle 1
Starter clue: K = T
MQKRXHFKVQOXRQHKZHDZHAHIO,RXIXKZQICWJQKZHRHFFXIOWRTKXKZQLWRWJZQOIGMQJKZHKTXBQIRWKJUWRO.
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 10
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: A = S
DMFNFVACQRMGZMJCUFNQAPQCRARMVDGDACRQEGAKCAGDGCQGA,VQERMVDGDECFA,VQECQRMVDBVDFNGVHGDRCNPA.
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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- X
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: X = I
CAUCTEYBCMSIXEXHPXHF;CHFCHLSIBMSIXHWSLL,SICSOBMTAXSSABXHFBBFXEHBNBEECMTJLMAXOXHWCICRRTAXJB.
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: M = N
DTGRWJRTBHZRLMVMRDSLMYTMIZRBDLMLD,LMWTBBLMYAZVEVMRBVFLTJTFDDVTMVDSRZBVFLTJTFD,DSLMGLMYVAYVI.
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 5
Starter clue: H = T
HJZMXRZKOGIVZKR,QJTHRWRCZHCRTYYEZM,UGKMZMHMGITYZHHYRIYRMJ,TYZHHYRXCRTHJ,TKLHJRFTCHQJZUJOGWRCKM.
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: Q = E
QSQINCDEWIJKQDW,WGGU,SQEEQU,CHCWAGQEWPTWHGIMPCFPCWPTEZQQDKTAQ,CEMQUU,TDANQWPQMPGKTAQCWCEDGWWPQIQ.
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
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- W
- 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)
- “Let no act be done at haphazard, nor otherwise than according to the finished rules that govern its kind.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IV. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=V C=W D=P E=X F=C G=U H=A I=R J=S K=T L=F M=L N=Y O=D P=J Q=E R=N S=Q T=G U=K V=B W=I X=O Y=M Z=H
- “The reason which governs knows what its own disposition is, and what it does, and on what material it works.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=S B=M C=O D=T E=D F=E G=I H=L I=U J=G K=P L=Q M=H N=R O=J P=K Q=N R=W S=Y T=B U=V V=A W=Z X=F Y=X Z=C
- “Always bear this in mind; and another thing too, that very little indeed is necessary for living a happy life.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=L B=E C=A D=J E=S F=D G=X H=N I=H J=F K=Q L=O M=R N=C O=V P=M Q=K R=P S=T T=Y U=W V=Z W=G X=I Y=B Z=U
- “Take pleasure in one thing and rest in it, in passing from one social act to another social act, thinking of God.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=F B=S C=Y D=T E=M F=C G=K H=U I=D J=L K=B L=I M=N N=X O=V P=J Q=Z R=E S=H T=A U=Q V=O W=P X=W Y=G Z=R
- “This being of mine, whatever it really is, consists of a little flesh, a little breath, and the part which governs.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, II. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=K C=R D=U E=Y F=P G=O H=T I=F J=H K=N L=D M=S N=Q O=G P=Z Q=W R=E S=J T=A U=C V=M W=V X=B Y=L Z=I
- “Every instrument, tool, vessel, if it does that for which it has been made, is well, and yet he who made it is not there.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=D B=K C=I D=N E=S F=C G=O H=F I=R J=U K=M L=Z M=W N=Y O=X P=H Q=E R=Q S=V T=A U=L V=P W=T X=G Y=J Z=B