 Mesembria was one of the cities, forming the Greek Pentapolis on the Euxine, the other four being Odessus, Tomi, Istriani and Apolloniatae.Mesembria is rarely mentioned in history, but it continued to exist till a late period, being recorded by Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder, and Ptolemy, and appearing in the Peutinger Table.The Dorian colonisation is dated to the beginning of the 6th century BCE, and evidence shows that it was an important trading centre from then on and a rival of Apollonia (Sozopol).