A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

1. A daughter of Lagus by Antigone, niece of Antipater, was married first to Philip, an obscure Macedonian, and afterwards to Ptolemy Soter (the reputed son of Lagus by Arsinoe), who fell in love with her when she came to Egypt in attendance on his bride Eurydice, Antipater's daughter. (Schol. ad Theoc. Idyll. 17.61; Paus. 1.6, 7.) She had such influence over her husband that she procured the succession to the throne for her son Ptolemy Philadelphus, to the exclusion of Eurydice's children,--and this, too, in spite of the remonstrances of Demetrius of Phalerus with the king. (Just. xvi 2; D. L. 5.78; comp. Ael. VH 3.17.) Plutarch speaks of her as the first in virtue and wisdom of the wives of Ptolemy, and relates that Pyrrhus of Epeirus, when he was placed with Ptolemy as a hostage for Demetrius, courted her favour especially, and received in marriage Antigone, her daughter by her first husband Philip. Pyrrhus is also said to have given the name of " Berenicis," in honour of her, to a city which he built in Epeirus. (Plut. Pyrrh. 4, 6.) After her death her son Philadelphus instituted divine honours to her and Theocritus (Idyll. 17.34, &c., 123) celebrates her beauty, virtue, and deification. See also Athen. v. pp. 202, d., 203, a.; Theoc. Idyll. 15.106; and the pretty Epigram (55) of Callimachus. It seems doubtful whether the Berenice, whose humane interference with her husband on behalf of criminals is referred to by Aelian (Ael. VH 14.43), is the subject of the present article, or the wife of Ptolemy III. (Euergetes.) See Perizonius, ad Ael. l.c.