How to Decode a Caesar Box Code
Two Methods:SampleDecoding Instructions
Julius Caesar was one of the first people to write in code. He invented the Caesar cipher, in which each letter is replaced with another letter that's a fixed number of positions down the alphabet. The following cipher is not the Caesar cipher, but rather what cryptographers call a "columnar transposition cipher" or "Caesar's Box" though it is unclear if the code was ever actually used by Caesar.
EditSteps
EditSample
EditDecoding Instructions
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1Count the number of characters in the code. Here we have 16: G T Y O R J O T E O U I A B G TAd -
2Determine how many rows you can divide the letters into equally (Find the square root of the number you found in step 1. If the square root isn't a whole number, round up). We can put 16 into 4 rows of 4 (I.e. the square root of 16 is 4). If we had 25 letters we could put them into 5 rows of 5 (square root of 25 is 5) and so on. In cases where the number doesn't divide so neatly, use the number of rows for the next "boxable" (perfect square) number up. The "boxable" (square) numbers are 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, etc. If the code has 22 letters (square root of 22 is 4.69), the next number up is 25, which would mean 5 rows (4.69 rounds up to 5). -
3Write the letters out into rows. With the example given, it'd be written out as such:
GTYO
RJOT
EOUI
ABGT -
4Start from the top left letter and read down, then start at the top of the next column and read down again, and so on. This example has the message: "GREAT JOB YOU GOT IT". -
5Finished.Ad
We could really use your help!
computers?
wedding planning?
focus groups?
homesteading?
EditTips
- "Hey dude whats up" is only 14 letters long. The closest number (always round up) is 4x4 = 16. So pretend you have 16 letters... H U H U E D A P Y E T D W S
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H U H U
E D A P
Y E T
D W S - When turning these codes into "boxes" you won't always have exactly enough letters to make a perfect square. Simply count the letters and which ever perfect square it's closest to, use that number. For example:
- Here is another example: h a e a n d v i a e c y
- This will decode as "have a nice day"
EditWarnings
- This code is usually not very difficult to decode. Do not put highly important information in this format.
- Some codes CAN be extremely difficult to decode, BUT:
Article Info
Categories: Codes and Hidden Messaging
Recent edits by: Jeff, Liana, ElizabethD
In other languages:
Español: Cómo descifrar un código de Cesar, Italiano: Come Decifrare un Cifrario a Trasposizione Colonnare, Português: Como Decodificar uma Caixa de César
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