Puzzle 1
Starter clue: L = E
FPMHLCLQMERAELOALZAQZMRZ,NJTZHGLSAAO;VTZHMZNWHPLSABO,AQHPLLJLQMBO,AQHPLITQIBL,FLQLMBFMRZZMRNESHPNZ.
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
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- T
- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Marcus Aurelius Cryptograms Set 11
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: G = E
EBMLVIGXAENYFQQPBMTKMDGMYGFMVIGYBEGBXVBP;FMGQBXXYVIGPGGBPXLBMOBMFVIGPXBVG,JAVKVEBTGYMFOKQQGPGMDG.
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 3
Starter clue: M = T
FVAJYOPIMQCMPBPIXMQYAZTQYFQQCGGPAJ,QCGGPAJUEJMSX,CAOYKMQVEVWJPIBPJMFCIPKESSX,MQVETYSMKYAOYMMVWPJV.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: B = E
VBIBIZBVDYUT,-DYMDDYBVBUTMGVSGBVKUOWUDLMWKGVSGSVDUSWDSZBSZTBVABKUWDYBGBVESVIMWXBSEBABVLMXDSENUEB.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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- L
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: M = T
XWPXUDMXTCMBCDBFSMZQM;XLIMBXMEDMBCSXMEFLXWFLC.MBCSCNFSCDXUXLIIFCRCSUMBELVXZZFSIELVMFDFQLICDMSCXDFL.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: F = N
DUSWLFX,UFVRKLZMRMJFGUFC,LERCJORFUOREHUHDRNUECUHHRF;LFMDUSWLFXSDUGZFCHDRJEIELJGRGLERVKRLFCUFRKUFCLCU!
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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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)
- “Whatever any one does or says, I must be good; just as if the gold, or the emerald, or the purple, were always saying this.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=O B=L C=V D=Q E=N F=W G=B H=T I=P J=M K=Z L=E M=A N=I O=D P=H Q=R R=Y S=G T=U U=K V=J W=F X=C Y=X Z=S
- “Many the lumps of frankincense on the same altar; one falls there early and another late, but it makes no difference.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IV. 15 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=A C=V D=C E=M F=O G=E H=Z I=H J=B K=I L=Y M=N N=P O=D P=R Q=F R=W S=J T=K U=Q V=T W=X X=L Y=S Z=G
- “Consider that everything which happens, happens justly, and if thou observest carefully, thou wilt find it to be so.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=N B=V C=A D=Z E=U F=C G=P H=M I=R J=S K=F L=X M=T N=Q O=D P=E Q=H R=K S=L T=W U=J V=O W=B X=Y Y=I Z=G
- “Remember this, - that there is a proper dignity and proportion to be observed in the performance of every act of life.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IV. 32 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=V B=E C=J D=T E=F F=Q G=P H=K I=M J=Z K=D L=Y M=A N=L O=G P=U Q=X R=W S=O T=S U=I V=R W=N X=C Y=H Z=B
- “Always take the short cut; and that is the rational one. Therefore say and do everything according to soundest reason.”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, IV. 51 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=B B=H C=E D=S E=I F=O G=M H=J I=D J=X K=Q L=N M=T N=F O=Z P=W Q=U R=V S=R T=K U=Y V=G W=L X=A Y=P Z=C
- “How many, once lauded in song, are given over to the forgotten; and how many who sung their praises are clean gone long ago!”— Marcus Aurelius, 170, Meditations, VII. 6 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Q B=J C=G D=H E=R F=N G=S H=T I=P J=I K=L L=A M=D N=F O=V P=Z Q=X R=E S=W T=B U=O V=C W=M X=Y Y=K Z=U