It is a palace that symbolized the golden age of antiquity, it witnessed the assassination of King Philip II and the coronation of his 20-year-old son as King Alexander the Great.
Located in the ceremonial center of the ancient Macedonian kingdom, the 15,000-square-meter Aigai Palace is three times the size of the Parthenon, with its enclosed walls, courtyard, temples, shrines, theater, palestra (or boxing school) and tombs.
Now, archaeologists have discovered the arena and bath where the teenage Alexander bathed naked with his childhood companion, rumored lover and future military second-in-command, Hephaestion.
The discovery, in the royal town of Aigai in the modern northern Greek city of Vergina, is revealed in the final episode of Channel 4 series Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World, airing on May 11 .
“Watching Aigai being excavated and renovated is an extraordinary sight,” the presenter said.
Archaeologists have discovered the arena and bath where the teenage Alexander bathed naked with his childhood companion, rumored lover and future military second-in-command, Hephaestion.
Son of King Philip II of Macedonia and Queen Olympias of Epirus, Alexander was one of the most ambitious military commanders of all time, who declared that he wanted to be “king of the world.”
‘There is a huge drain cut into the rock and a communal bathroom.
«Alexander the Great would have bathed here with his companions: his famous favorite Hephaestion and all those young men who later traveled with him on campaigns and after his death fought for his empire.
‘They went through all these initiation rites.
‘They were incredibly active in the gym, fighting and wrestling. They were trained to hunt.
‘Imagine those communal bathrooms at the end of football games.
“It’s a really visceral moment to be there imagining Alexander bathing in a lovely, homoerotic way with his testosterone-filled teenage peers.
The discovery, in the royal town of Aigai in the modern northern Greek city of Vergina, is revealed in the final episode of Channel 4 series Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World, airing on May 11 .
Located in the ceremonial center of the ancient Macedonian kingdom, the 15,000-square-meter Aigai Palace is three times larger than the Parthenon.
‘His bedroom has not been identified yet, but all the rooms in the palace are there.
“So, I haven’t gone into Alexander’s bedroom yet, but I have gone into his bathroom.”
Alexander, son of King Philip II of Macedonia and Queen Olympias of Epirus, was one of the most ambitious military commanders of all time and declared that he wanted to be “king of the world.”
Mentored by the world-famous philosopher Aristotle, along with his group of companions, he acceded to the throne after his father was murdered by a bodyguard during his sister Cleopatra’s wedding.
The Aigai Palace, built more than 2,300 years ago during the reign of Alexander the Great’s father, seen from above.
Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World airs on Channel 4 at 7pm on May 11
Since his reign in 336 BC. Until his death 13 years later, he built one of the largest empires the world had ever seen, stretching from Greece to Egypt and into the Indian subcontinent.
Now, after a 16-year, €20 million project, the archaeological team has restored 1,400 square meters of mosaics from banquet halls, marble floors and palace colonnades, and has uncovered hundreds of precious objects.
Bettany was also granted access to the tomb of Alexander’s sister Thessalonica, who was buried at Aigai, which was plundered in ancient times.
“There was an incredible sepulchral beauty to it,” he added.
Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World airs on Channel 4 at 7pm on May 11.
The discovery was made in the royal city of Aigai, in the modern city of Vergina, in northern Greece.
WHO WAS ALEXANDER THE GREAT?
Alexander III of Macedonia was born in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia, in July 356 BC.
He died of fever in Babylon in June 323 BC
Alexander led an army through the Persian territories of Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, claiming the land in his path.
Alexander III of Macedonia was born in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia, in July 356 BC.
Their greatest victory was at the Battle of Gaugamela, now northern Iraq, in 331 BC. C., and during his journey through these Persian territories, it is said that he never suffered a defeat.
This led him to be known as Alexander the Great.
After this battle at Gaugamela, Alexander led his army another 17,700 kilometers (11,000 miles), founded more than 70 cities, and created an empire that spanned three continents.
This ranged from Greece in the west, to Egypt in the south, the Danube in the north and the Indian Punjab in the east.
Alexander was buried in Egypt, but it is believed that his body was moved to avoid looting.
His fellow royals were traditionally buried in a cemetery near Vergina, far to the west.
The lavishly furnished tomb of Alexander’s father, Philip II, was discovered during the 1970s.