A would-be burglar in Rome was apprehended after taking an unexpected detour from his robbery to read a book on Greek mythology.
The 38-year-old suspect entered an apartment in the Prati district through a balcony but became engrossed in a copy of Homer’s Iliad found on a bedside table, according to Italian media reports.
The 71-year-old homeowner was awakened and confronted the thief, who was reportedly so absorbed in the book that he barely noticed the intrusion. The burglar attempted to flee through the same balcony after being discovered, but he was quickly arrested by police.
Interestingly, the book’s author, Giovanni Nucci, expressed a desire to send the thief a copy so he could “finish” his reading. Nucci, who wrote The Gods at Six O’Clock, a retelling of the Iliad from the perspective of the gods, remarked on the surreal yet human aspect of the story.
The thief was also found carrying a bag with expensive clothing allegedly stolen from another location earlier that evening. He told police he thought he had entered a bed-and-breakfast and was simply reading the book out of curiosity.
Nucci, whose favourite deity is Hermes—the god of thieves and literature—found the irony fitting, stating, “It all makes sense now.”
(Source: NDTV)
