(MENAFN- Live Mint) A "would-be" thief was caught red-handed after he made a“mistake” of stopping and reading a book about the Greek magnum opus 'Illiad' in Rome, Italy.
The 71-year-old homeowner woke up and confronted the thief, absorbed in the book. What happened next was not a regular burglary incident.
The 38-year-old reportedly accessed a flat in Rome's Prati district through the balcony but became distracted by a book on Homer's Iliad on a bedside table.
He told Police he had climbed the building to visit someone he knew, explaining,“I thought I had ended up in a B&B, saw the book, and started reading it.”
The failed burglary caught the attention of the book's author, who expressed a desire to send the man a copy so he could“finish” reading it. After being surprised by the homeowner, the alleged thief tried to flee through the same balcony but was quickly arrested.
Giovanni Nucci, author of The Gods at Six O'Clock, which offers a divine perspective on the Iliad, told Il Messaggero:“It's fantastic. I'd 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. It's a surreal story, but also full of humanity.”
The thief was allegedly carrying a bag with expensive clothing, allegedly stolen from another house earlier that evening. Nucci noted that his personal favorite deity is Hermes, the god of thieves, BBC reported.
“He is also the god of literature. It is clear: everything fits,” he joked.
The Iliad, an epic poem attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, is one of the most important works of classical literature. Set during the Trojan War, it focuses on the hero Achilles and the events leading up to the fall of Troy.
The poem explores themes of heroism, honour, and the influence of the gods in human affairs, depicting the intense struggles and conflicts of its characters both on and off the battlefield.
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