Puzzle 1
Starter clue: Y = N
YXDHKPMXCMXAKPQXKAJYPLPKEDMJYQYVOPCCDVDMPPYADMXYDVDMPIPQJYYJYQXYADMPBVYDJYHXYBP,ZHCDOJFPDMPGXYNMVDMKVNCHSXIXOO.
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 14
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: H = T
GARAHDOWHQHPQVQKOFRGQVACHPMNFCQFRHPABJPHWOZABHAHPQVW,DPQRHPABGAWHRAHVQCQVHPMHPABJPHWHAWAKQAZXQSHACSAKKARBHFNFHM.
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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- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: F = T
MHJMNYTXEFAFCQYCATFJMN;MEIFCQYCATFJMNBYFCQEMFXTMH:MUUATIBELHNYMNMEIIAQGQTNFCBELBEUAEPATWBFNJBFCFCQYAXEIQYFTQMYAE.
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: I = E
ZIMNIITEICEIGCNSDECVIZNIHWIN,VDPNINOMCVIBDPMCEX,NIG-NVDEIN,GMJZDPMCGOMN;GMJCVDPCDDGECUDMCCDJINOEINPBVCVOMRNWIEXZPBV.
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: L = T
SESAJLKHTQXKHPKKMYYSTZSHLKSAKMYYSTZHTZCPKXHZSMZLKWCMALNWAGSVIJTMLCASLWISMAHL,WAMZLKWCMALTWLNWAGSVIJTMLCASLWISMAHL.
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: M = T
MPVUZMJRDZHSUJDQJSHVGPJQPUXHVLPZLMPJLDZMXUV,MPZMJMJLQRDMVDMGJMPJMLVHOGPVDJMFRVLGPZMJLEXLM,ZDFLRLVQXUVLMUZDWXJHHJMN.
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
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- X
- Y
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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)
- “Nature has had regard in everything no less to the end than to the beginning and the continuance, just like the man who throws up a ball.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=D B=C C=S D=T E=Y F=K G=M H=U I=B J=I K=R L=V M=H N=W O=L P=E Q=G R=Z S=P T=Q U=X V=O W=F X=A Y=N Z=J
- “Do not waste the remainder of thy life in thoughts about others, when thou dost not refer thy thoughts to some object of common utility.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=O B=U C=F D=W E=P F=I G=D H=T I=Q J=G K=M L=K M=Y N=L O=A P=H Q=E R=N S=C T=Z U=X V=R W=S X=J Y=V Z=B
- “Always run to the short way; and the short way is the natural: accordingly say and do everything in conformity with the soundest reason.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=O B=I C=H D=K E=N F=T G=V H=L I=D J=W K=J L=G M=A N=Y O=Z P=F Q=E R=X S=P T=R U=C V=Q W=M X=U Y=S Z=B
- “Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains; and thou too art wont to desire such things very much.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=J B=C C=T D=O E=R F=P G=A H=L I=E J=D K=Q L=Z M=N N=S O=I P=U Q=B R=G S=F T=K U=W V=H W=V X=Y Y=X Z=M
- “Everything which happens either happens in such wise as thou art formed by nature to bear it, or as thou art not formed by nature to bear it.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=R B=K C=U D=Z E=V F=Q G=M H=I I=B J=Y K=H L=T M=A N=F O=J P=C Q=G R=L S=E T=N U=X V=D W=O X=W Y=P Z=S
- “The rational principle which rules has this nature, that it is content with itself when it does what is just, and so secures tranquillity.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=Z B=X C=V D=N E=J F=D G=W H=L I=M J=I K=B L=S M=T N=Y O=F P=H Q=C R=O S=P T=G U=R V=E W=Q X=U Y=K Z=A