Bĕrĕnīcē (in MSS. also Bĕrŏnīcē), ēs, f., = Βερενίκη.
- I. A female name.
- A. Daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus and Arsinoë, and wife of her own brother, Ptolemy Euergetes; her beautiful hair was placed as a constellation in heaven (Coma or Crinis Berenices), Hyg. Astr. 2, 24; cf. the poem of Catullus: de Coma Berenices, 66, 1 sqq. (Another constellation of the same name, Plin. 2, 70, 71, § 178.)
Hence,
- 2. Bĕrĕnīcēus, a, um, adj., of Berenice: vertex, Cat. 66, 8.
- B. The daughter of the Jewish king Agrippa I., accused of incest, Juv. 6, 156 sqq.; Tac. H. 2, 2; 2, 81; Suet. Tit. 7; called uxor Titi, Aur. Vict. Epit. 10, 4; called Bernīcē, Vulg. Act. 25, 13.
- II. The name of several towns.
- A. In Cyrenaica, earlier called Hesperis, now Benghazi, Plin. 5, 5, 5, § 31; Sol. 27, 54; Amm. 22, 16, 4.
Hence,
- 2. Bĕrĕnīcis, ĭdis, f., the region around Berenice: ardens, Luc. 9, 524: undosa, Sil. 3, 249; cf. Inscr. Orell. 3880.
- B. A town in Arabia, Mel. 3, 8, 7.
- C. A town on the Red Sea, Plin. 6, 29, 34, § 70; cf. Mel. 3, 8, 7.
- D. A town on the frontier of Egypt, Plin. 6, 23, 26, § 108; 6, 29, 33, § 168.