Book on Greek mythology thwarts burglary in Rome

A 38-YEAR-OLD man broke into a house in Rome’s Prati district. He could have succeeded in burglarizing the house if only he didn’t get fascinated with a book on Greek mythology.

The would-be thief entered a 71-year-old man’s home through the balcony but was sidetracked when he found a book titled "The Gods at Six O'Clock" by Giovanni Nucci.

The book, which retells Homer's Iliad from the gods’ viewpoint, caught his interest so much that he started reading it instead of continuing his burglary.

The homeowner woke up, discovered the intruder engrossed in the book, and confronted him. The thief tried to escape through the balcony but was stopped by the homeowner until the police arrived.

The man later claimed he thought he was in a bed and breakfast visiting a friend, not committing a burglary.

Police also found him with a bag of expensive clothes, believed to be stolen from another home that same night.

Giovanni Nucci, the author of the book that distracted the thief, responded with unexpected kindness.

In an interview with Il Messaggero, Nucci said he found the situation “fantastic” and offered to give the thief a copy of his book.

"I'd like to find the person caught red-handed and give him the book because he was likely 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," Nucci said.

He added that the story was “surreal” but “full of humanity,” and joked that it linked to his favorite Greek god, Hermes, the god of thieves.

This unusual incident highlights how even a burglary can take an unexpected twist when literature comes into play.(MyTVCebu)

• Tags
• #Greek Mythology
• #Rome
• #Prati District
• #The Gods at Six O’Clock
• #Theft
• #Giovanni Nucci