Said to have been utilized in ancient Greek military campaigns, the scytale is a cryptographic tool used in the creation and deciphering of transposition ciphers. It consists of a cylindrical rod around which a strip of paper or leather is wound. Because the message is written upon the wound strip, it appears as an illegible jumble of letters to anyone who does not bear a scytale of the appropriate diameter. Why do some question the veracity of Plutarch’s early description of the scytale? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary