Studies of Greek and Roman literature reveal evidence of a sport played with ball and paddle. One theory holds that the Greeks acquired the game from the Persians or Egyptians as far back as the 5th century B.C., and that it found its way to France as a result of the Saracen invasion. In similar accounts, the Persians played a game in the 4th century A.D. called "tchigan" which resembled "chicane", an ancient sport in Languedoc, France.