How Spartan Encryption Scytales Worked 😮

A strip of leather was wrapped around a wooden rod, and a message would be written straight across it. But when it was unwrapped again, the writing would look scrambled. Now if an enemy soldier stole it, he couldn't read it. Even wrapping it around another rod wouldn't help. The letters would still be jumbled if the size didn't match.

But the person it was meant for had a rod that perfectly matched the original. When the letter was wrapped around, each wrap was the right length, making the letters line When the letter was wrapped around, each wrap was the right length, making the letters line up to reveal the hidden message.