Greek mythology scuppers Rome heist as burglar caught reading on job

In a hilarious and 'literary' turn of events, a burglar in Rome was caught after being distracted by a Greek mythology book and reading it in the midst of a theft, Italian media reported on Sunday.

The careless housebreaker accessed a flat via the balcony in the Prati district of the capital but became sloppy when he came face to face with a book about Homer’s Iliad on a bedside table.

Interestingly, the man was caught off-guard by the 71-year-old homeowner while he was deeply engrossed in the mythology book.

The burglar’s interest in the book has gained attention, including from the author, Giovanni Nucci, who has told the local media in Italy that he wishes to send a copy of his book to the man so he can happily complete his read.

Nucci told Il Messaggero that the book, "The Gods at Six O'Clock" is “fantastic” and he would “like to find the person caught red-handed and give him the book because he'll have been arrested halfway through reading it. I'd like him to be able to finish it.”

Reportedly, the alleged thief tried to escape after he was caught by the house owner through the same balcony he had entered from but was arrested afterwards.

The man has also reportedly told the police that he entered the building through the balcony to visit an acquaintance but instead entered what he claims he thought was a store and was drawn to the book sitting in the shelf.

"I thought I had ended up in a B&B, saw the book and started to read it,” the book enthusiast and thief stated as quoted by BBC.

Despite all the absurdity of the situation, Nucci has found a humorous angle to the incident saying that his favourite god was Hermes who is known as the “god of thieves” who is also called the “god of literature”, jokingly adding that “It is clear: everything fits”.