Games similar to backgammon which were played in antiquity are: Pessi in ancient Greece, Senet in ancient Egypt, The Royal Game of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia, The Game of the Twelve Lines (Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum) in the Roman Empire and Tabula in Byzantium. The most related game to its modern guise appeared in France in the 11th century and it was called Jeu de tables. Etymologically, the term “tavli” (the greek term used for backgammon) derives from the latin word “tabula” which means “table” or “board” and it was called like that due to its form. In English, the word “backgammon” derives from “bac (back)” and “gamen (game)”, because when a checker blocks another one, it has to go back to the beginning.