Greek mythology has a way of righting injustices, though, and the very labors meant to destroy Hercules served to make him a hero instead: The name of Hercules became synonymous with strength and daring. Nobody ever heard of Eury-something-us.
As for Mycenae, it remains — equal parts myth and stone — on a hilltop in Greece's Peloponnesian Peninsula. It's one of three essential stops on a circuit of classical Greece archeological sites beyond Athens.
Olympia gets more coverage, especially during an Olympic Games year. And Delphi inspires more curiosity because of its oracle. Both of those places attract bigger crowds. But at Mycenae, the course of Western civilization shifted to embrace the heroic.
