Extensive ab initio calculations at the MP2/6-31G* level have been carried out to sample the energy surface for the interactions of the benzene dimers. This database has been used to parameterize two anisotropic single-site models, meant to be used as building blocks in hybrid models of complex, liquid crystal forming molecules. A quadrupolar Gay-Berne (GBQIII) and an S-function (SF) Corner potentials have been obtained in this way. Their ability to reproduce, qualitatively at least, the phase diagram as well as energetic and structural properties of benzene has been tested with Monte Carlo simulations and compared with previous literature potentials, GBQI [S. Gupta , Mol. Phys. 65, 961 (1988)] and GBQII [T. R. Walsh, Mol. Phys. 100, 2867 (2002)]. It turned out that GBQI showed no melting transition in the temperature range explored (100-400 K), while GBQII underwent a phase transition from solid to gas, with no liquid phase. Conversely, both models parameterized on our database of ab initio interaction energies (GBQIII and SF) gave rise to a stable liquid phase. Melting has been observed between 100 and 150 K (GBQIII) and in the range 300-350 K (SF), i.e., substantially below and slightly above the experimental value at ambient pressure, 278 K. The description of the crystal structure of benzene at atmospheric pressure is also in better agreement with experimental data if the SF model is used, while positional correlations in the liquid are better described by the GBQIII potential. The S-function potential is also computationally more convenient. These results could be useful in the semirealistic modeling of more complex molecules. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.