Alexander the Great's bathroom is discovered after 2,300 years: Archaeologists ... trends now

It is a palace that symbolised the golden age of antiquity, bore witness to the assassination of King Philip II and the crowning of his 20-year-old son King Alexander the Great.

Set in the ceremonial centre of the ancient Macedonian kingdom, the 15,000 square metre Aigai palace is three times the size of the Parthenon, with its gated city walls, courtyard, temples, sanctuaries, theatre, palaestra - or boxing school - and tombs.

Now, archaeologists have discovered the palaestra and bathroom where the teenage Alexander bathed naked with his childhood companion, rumoured lover and future military second-in-command Hephaestion.

The discovery, in the Royal city of Aigai, in the modern town of Vergina, Northern Greece, is unveiled in the final episode of the Channel 4 series Bettany Hughes' Treasures of the World, which airs on May 11.

'It's the most extraordinary sight, seeing Aigai being excavated and renovated,' said the presenter. 

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'There's a massive drain cut into the rock and a communal bathroom.

'This would have been where Alexander the Great bathed with his companions - his famous favourite Hephaestion and all those young men who then travelled with him on campaigns and after his death squabbled over his empire.

'There were all these rites of passage they went through. 

'They were incredibly active in the gym, fighting and wrestling. They were trained to hunt.

'Imagine those communal baths at the end of football matches. 

'It is a really visceral moment to be there imagining Alexander bathing in a lovely homo-erotic way with his teenage, testosterone-filled companions.