A would-be burglar in Rome was caught during a robbery when he stopped to read a book of Greek mythology, according to Italian media reports.
The 38-year-old reportedly entered an apartment in the Prati district of the Italian capital through a balcony but became distracted after picking up a book about Homer’s Iliad on his bedside table.
The 71-year-old homeowner reportedly woke up to find the thief engrossed in a book.
News of the failed robbery caught the attention of the book’s author, who told local media he wanted to send the man a copy so he could “finish” the book.
The robber was reportedly caught off guard and tried to escape from the same balcony, but was arrested a short time later.
He reportedly told police he climbed the building to visit someone he knew.
“I thought I had checked into a B&B, saw this book and started reading.”
“It’s wonderful,” Giovanni Nucci, author of “The Gods at Six O’Clock,” which explains the “Iliad” from the gods’ perspective, told the Courier.
“I want to find the guy who was caught red-handed and give him the book because he’s going to be arrested halfway through. I want him to finish the book.”
“It’s a surreal story, but also very human.”
The thieves were reportedly in possession of a bag containing expensive clothing that was allegedly stolen from another house earlier that night.
Mr. Nucci said his personal favorite god was Hermes, the god of thieves.
“He’s also a god of literature. It’s obvious: everything fits,” he joked.
