Berenice ( grc, Βερενίκη, ''Bereníkē'') is the Ancient Macedonian form of the

Attic Greek Attic Greek is the Greek language, Greek dialect of the regions of ancient Greece, ancient region of Attica, including the ''polis'' of classical Athens, Athens. Often called classical Greek, it was the prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige diale ...

name ''Pherenikē'', which means "bearer of victory" . Berenika, priestess of

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Demeter (; Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. Although s ...

in Lete ca. 350 BC, is the oldest epigraphical evidence. The name also has the form Bernice. Many historical figures bear the name Berenice:

Ancient world

Ptolemaic and Seleucid queens and royal daughters in Cyrenaica and Egypt

Berenice I of Egypt Berenice I ( grc-gre, Βερενίκη; c. 340 BC – between 279 and 268 BC) was Queen of Egypt by marriage to Ptolemy I Soter. She became the second queen, after Eurydice, of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt. Life Family Berenice was originally f ...

( – between 279 and 268 BC), mother of Magas of Cyrene and wife of Ptolemy I of Egypt *

Berenice II of Egypt Berenice II Euergetis (267 or 266 BC – 221 BC; , ''Berenikē Euergetis'', "Berenice the Benefactress") was queen regnant of Cyrenaica from 258 BC to 246 BC and co-regent queen of Ptolemaic Egypt from 246 BC to 222 BC as the wife of Ptolemy III. ...

(267 or 266 BC – 221 BC), daughter of Magas of Cyrene, wife of Ptolemy III of Egypt and traditional namesake of the constellation

Coma Berenices Coma Berenices is an ancient asterism in the northern sky, which has been defined as one of the 88 modern constellations. It is in the direction of the fourth galactic quadrant, between Leo and Boötes, and it is visible in both hemisphere ...

Berenice III of Egypt Berenice III (Greek: Βερενίκη; 120–80 BC) was also known as Cleopatra, ruled between 101 and 80 BC. Modern scholars studying Berenice III refer to her sometimes as Cleopatra Berenice. She was co-ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt from 101–8 ...

(120–80 BC), daughter of Ptolemy IX of Egypt; she first married Ptolemy X of Egypt, and later Ptolemy XI of Egypt *

Berenice IV of Egypt Berenice IV Epiphaneia ( grc-gre, Βερενίκη; 77–55 BC, born and died in Alexandria, Egypt) was a Greek princess and Queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty. From 58–55 BC, Berenice IV ruled Egypt during the political exile of her father Ptolemy ...

(77–55 BC), daughter of Ptolemy XII of Egypt and elder sister of Cleopatra VII *

Berenice (Seleucid queen) Berenice ( grc, Βερενίκη, translit=Berenikē) (275 BC–246 BC), also called Berenice Phernophorus ("Dowry Bearer") or Berenice Syra, was an Egyptian princess, and a Seleucid queen regent. She was a Selecucid queen by marriage to Anti ...

(died 246 BC), daughter of Ptolemy II of Egypt and wife of Seleucid monarch Antiochus II Theos *

Berenice (daughter of Ptolemy II of Telmessos) Berenice also known as Berenike ( el, Βερενίκη; fl. second half of 3rd century BC and first half of 2nd century BC), was a Greek Princess from Asia Minor who was a distant relative of the Seleucid Monarch Antiochus III the Great. Family ba ...

(3rd to 2nd century BC), great-granddaughter of

Ptolemy Epigonos Ptolemy EpigonosBillows, ''Kings and colonists: aspects of Macedonian imperialism'', p.110 ( el, Πτολεμαίος ὁ Έπίγονος ''Ptolemaios Epigonos'', ''Epigonos'' i.e. the ''heir'', 299/298 BC–February 240 BC) was a Greek Prince fro ...

Judean princesses

Berenice (daughter of Salome) Berenice was the daughter of Costobarus and Salome I, the sister of Herod the Great. She married her cousin Aristobulus in order to reduce discord within her family caused by Herod's favoritism towards his wife Mariamne. Her marriage was an a ...

(1st century BC), daughter of

Salome I Salome I (ca. 65 BCE – ca. 10 CE) was the sister of Herod the Great and the mother of Berenice by her husband Costobarus, governor of Idumea. She was a nominal queen regnant of the toparchy of Iamnia, Azotus, Phasaelis from 4 BCE. Life She ...

, a sister of

Herod the Great Herod I (; ; grc-gre, ; c. 72 – 4 or 1 BCE), also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman Jewish client king of Judea, referred to as the Herodian kingdom. He is known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea, including his renov ...

. and mother of

Herod Agrippa Herod Agrippa (Roman name Marcus Julius Agrippa; born around 11–10 BC – in Caesarea), also known as Herod II or Agrippa I (), was a grandson of Herod the Great and King of Judea from AD 41 to 44. He was the father of Herod Agrippa II, the ...

Berenice Berenice ( grc, Βερενίκη, ''Bereníkē'') is the Ancient Macedonian form of the Attic Greek name ''Pherenikē'', which means "bearer of victory" . Berenika, priestess of Demeter in Lete ca. 350 BC, is the oldest epigraphical evidence. Th ...

(28–?), a daughter of Herod Agrippa, wife of

Herod of Chalcis Herod of Chalcis (d. 48-49 CE), also known as Herod Pollio King of Chalcis, Herod V, and listed by the ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' as Herod II, was a son of Aristobulus IV, and the grandson of Herod the Great, Roman client king of Judaea. He was th ...

until 48, then spent much of her life at the court of her brother,

Herod Agrippa II Herod Agrippa II (; AD 27/28 – or 100), officially named Marcus Julius Agrippa and sometimes shortened to Agrippa, was the last ruler from the Herodian dynasty, reigning over territories outside of Judea as a Roman client. Agrippa II fled ...

(after 50–?), daughter of another daughter of Herod Agrippa I

Saints

* Berenice, also known as

Saint Veronica Saint Veronica, also known as Berenike, was a woman from Jerusalem who lived in the 1st century AD, according to extra-biblical Christian sacred tradition. A celebrated saint in many pious Christian countries, the 17th-century ''Acta Sanctorum' ...

, 1st-century saint from Jerusalem *

Domnina, Berenice, and Prosdoce Saint Domnina and her daughters Berenice (Bernice, Veronica, Verine, Vernike) and Prosdoce are venerated as Christian martyrs by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. The Diocletianic or Great Persecution was the last and most severe ...

, 4th-century Christian martyrs

Others

Berenice of Chios Berenice of Chios ( grc-gre, Βερενίκη ''Bereníke''; died about 72/71 BC) was an obscure Greek noblewoman from the Greek island of Chios who became the third wife of King Mithridates VI of Pontus. Biography In 86 BC, Mithridates VI, throu ...

(d. 72/71 BC), third wife of

Mithridates VI of Pontus Mithridates or Mithradates VI Eupator ( grc-gre, Μιθραδάτης; 135–63 BC) was ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus in northern Anatolia from 120 to 63 BC, and one of the Roman Republic's most formidable and determined opponents. He was an e ...

* The daughter in the

Exorcism of the Syrophoenician woman's daughter The Exorcism of the Syrophoenician woman's daughter is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels and is recounted in the Gospel of Mark in Chapter 7 () and in the Gospel of Matthew in Chapter 15 (). In Matthew, the story is recounted as the he ...

Modern era

Berenice Abbott Berenice Alice Abbott (July 17, 1898 – December 9, 1991) was an American photographer best known for her portraits of between-the-wars 20th century cultural figures, New York City photographs of architecture and urban design of the 1930s, and ...

(1898–1991), American photographer *

Bérénice Bejo Bérénice Bejo (; born 7 July 1976) is a French-Argentine actress best known for playing Christiana in ''A Knight's Tale'' (2001) and Peppy Miller in '' The Artist'' (2011). Her work in the latter earned her a nomination for the Academy Award ...

(born 1976), French-Argentine actress *

Berenice Celeyta Berenice Celeita Alayon (sometimes spelled 'Celeyta') is a Colombian human rights activist. She is the president of the ''Asociacion Para la Investigacion y Accion Social'' (NOMADESC), which investigates regional human rights abuses. In 1998, she w ...

, Colombian human rights activist *

Bérénice Marlohe Bérénice Lim Marlohe (born 19 May 1979) is a French actress. She played anti-heroine Bond girl Sévérine in the twenty-third ''James Bond'' film ''Skyfall''. Her television credits include ''Père et Maire'', ''Femmes de loi'', and ''Equip ...

, (born 1979), French actress *

Maé-Bérénice Méité Maé-Bérénice Méité (; born 21 September 1994) is a French figure skater. She is the 2011 Ondrej Nepela Memorial champion, the 2016 International Cup of Nice champion, the 2015 Winter Universiade silver medalist, and a six-time French nationa ...

, French figure skater *

Bernice Williams Bernice Williams is an American songwriter and music business manager, who wrote the 1960s song "Duke of Earl" along with Gene Chandler and Earl Edwards. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002 and is in The Rock and Roll Hall ...

, American raunchy blues singer *

Berenice Sydney Berenice Sydney (1944–1983), born Berenice Frieze, and professionally known as 'Berenice', was a British artist who produced a substantial body of work from 1964 until her death in 1983. Her oeuvre consists of paintings on canvas and paper, d ...

(1944–1983), English artist

References

Sources

Berenice

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 p ...

* {{given name, cat1=Italian feminine given names, cat2=English feminine given names