Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = E
HLALATCHLWAWAXNKLHHXPAATCCMQPQFCAHLQDKPTDVDXHHXPTW,QZQPLJXSKSAADHLQDKP;JXSHLQPQPHLAGXDVQHQXDXJTVQPATPAVAWA.
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 13
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: O = H
SGGAORJKEMORUOTSFARURTSANRJSJVAORJKMORUOREUPYYPJAPAONYSGG,YPZNAPMSFQEAOSAMORUOREPDAONESYNIRJQMRAOAONYENGZNE.
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
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: I = E
ZIRXIYVLYIPRINRPESIHNRXQONEEIHPRINRPESIH;NRXZIRMLYSEPHNLYIESIZYIOTIYNUPTIPRINRPESIH,NRXFHPKFSUIQPHIPRINRPESIH.
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
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: K = H
PMEMVKJSIWHZKJEMCBEBMEMUVKBEXWJWKIKJWQKMPMIWVKIIQOMEX,MOWHZKJWKIQBWKIWVKIIVMKJSI,RHVFMMDJVVKIYJWVKILJOIBEVOHVK.
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
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: C = T
SDKCEZDNEKJKZAMSJCEPNJKPCWKPI,CSUPAACERIZLKZDCJFCEPDWBFACZOK,MZCEPXKDKQSIKDCWZAUSAZCZSDKQKDCSIZPJAPDWFDBFACGKD.
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
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: Y = E
VOAYOROWVQYUYLTCGCLGUVQYG,OGJMYULFXYVLJCUNCUUVQWBPJHNYGVOZLPVOGOIVOUCECVRYMYULNYVQCGHHMCYXLPU,OGJVQWOGHYMCUHLGY.
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
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)
- “The healthy eye ought to see all visible things and not to say, I wish for green things; for this is the condition of a diseased eye.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=E B=M C=L D=N E=J F=B G=C H=T I=X J=F K=G L=H M=V N=U O=Q P=S Q=I R=K S=R T=A U=P V=D W=Y X=O Y=Z Z=W
- “All things which participate in anything which is common to them all, move towards that which is of the same kind with themselves.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=T B=U C=B D=F E=S F=R G=L H=X I=K J=N K=G L=Z M=W N=E O=H P=O Q=D R=I S=A T=P U=C V=Y W=Q X=J Y=M Z=V
- “Men despise one another and flatter one another; and men wish to raise themselves above one another, and crouch before one another.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=J B=Q C=Z D=X E=T F=C G=Y H=R I=E J=K K=U L=I M=W N=A O=L P=O Q=F R=N S=H T=V U=B V=P W=G X=D Y=S Z=M
- “Do not have such an opinion of things as he has who does thee wrong, or such as he wishes thee to have, but look at them as they are in truth.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=X B=I C=P D=K E=N F=L G=Z H=U I=E J=A K=H L=Y M=O N=J O=R P=D Q=W R=B S=V T=Q U=F V=T W=S X=G Y=M Z=C
- “One thing here is worth a great deal, to pass thy life in truth and justice, with a benevolent disposition even to liars and unjust men.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=S B=J C=T D=N E=H F=U G=M H=Z I=L J=R K=E L=F M=W N=G O=C P=A Q=V R=Y S=O T=Q U=P V=K W=D X=B Y=X Z=I
- “Take away these opinions then, and resolve to dismiss thy judgment about an act as if it were something grievous, and thy anger is gone.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=K B=J C=I D=X E=F F=L G=N H=G I=C J=D K=Z L=O M=R N=M O=A P=U Q=H R=W S=Q T=P U=S V=T W=Y X=V Y=E Z=B