Burglar Caught in Rome Mid-Heist While Taking a Break to Read Homer

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In today’s post, I am going to share a piece of news that has kept me laughing all morning. Italian authorities apprehended a suspected burglar in Rome last night. The arrest occurred during a robbery after the suspect paused to read a book—specifically, The Gods at Six O’clock by Giovanni Nucci. The novel discusses the entire Homer’s Iliad from the perspective of the gods themselves. Yes, you read that right! The would-be thief, evidently a lover of Greek literature, was caught in the act because he couldn’t resist reading. How very funny!

The thirty-eight year-old unnamed suspect accessed the balcony of an apartment located in Italy’s Prati district with the intent to steal; however, the man came across the book on the coffee table and immersed himself in the world of Achilles and the glory of ancient Greece. One might be able to say he became so lost in the epic battle scenes of an ancient world that he forgot he was committing an actual crime! 

The seventy-one-year-old homeowner was startled awake to find the burglar lounging in his living room, deeply absorbed in reading about the fate of Troy. The shocking scene was the last thing anyone would expect to find in the middle of the night. The man confronted the individual and immediately called the police. The alleged robber, caught off-guard, attempted to make a getaway via the same balcony. 

He was arrested shortly afterward and has denied his involvement, making the claims that he was searching for the flat of someone he knew. There was also a change of story when he later stated that he thought the place was an empty B&B. The man said there was no way of knowing that he was trespassing. This is unlikely, due to the fact the man was in possession of a bag that contained valuable items that included expensive clothing he allegedly had stolen from a nearby apartment. I personally feel this is a pretty cut and dry guilty verdict.

There’s no doubt that even the best-laid plans of thieves and criminals can’t ever compete with the allure of a really good book! In the end, who knew Homer could be so captivating? As for our literary burglar, he might have missed out on his sought after loot by the tempting distraction of a promising book but he will have plenty of time to read in his jail cell. Here is to hoping they have a fully stocked library!

This incident is sparking the interest and amusement among both the locals of the area and the media at large. It’s not everyday that a burglary is interrupted by literary interest. The police have not disclosed whether the suspect has any previous criminal record; although, the author has been notified of these bizarre events. Giovanni Nucci released a statement this morning saying “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.”

A watercolor painting of a man dressed as a burglar, hurriedly leaving a house with a sack of stolen goods.
A watercolor painting depicting a scene from Homer's The Iliad, featuring a warrior in action, inspired by the ancient epic.
A watercolor painting of a man in an orange prison jumpsuit, sitting behind bars and reading a book with a focused expression.

Disclaimer: I’m fully aware that I’ve made extreme light of this botched robbery; however, the severity of the situation is not lost on me. Three years ago, I too was awoken from a dead sleep by a strange man in my home talking to me. Someone I did not know. I woke up to a voice I didn’t know saying “wakey wakey,”  “wake up,”  “have you heard the good news about Jesus?” and other various incoherent ramblings.

The man was mentally ill. To this day, I don’t think he realized where he was. It was terrifying. I’ve still got trauma from the experience, and nobody’s space should ever be violated. The sound of that man’s voice will always be in my head. He had entered my home because the backdoor had been unlocked. The whole thing left me unsettled. I am well aware of how dangerous the situation was to both the elderly man whose home was broken into and the robber himself. I just want it to be clear that what he did is not okay under any circumstances. 

I’ve got a dark sense of humor, I suppose, and do find the fact he stopped and decided to read a book to be funny in a twisted way; however, that doesn’t mean he deserves to get off light for his very harmful actions. I’m incredibly thankful that nobody was injured, and although I can chuckle at the absurdity of him making himself comfortable enough to read, in no way, shape or form, do I condone his actions. I also want to add, and the age of thirty-eight, what is this man doing with his life that he is out breaking into people’s homes. Shakes my head…

BOOK SYNOPSIS

(Translated from Italian to English)

We have an idea of ​​the gods who observe everything from the top of Olympus: they watch the heroes fight on the plain in front of Troy and comment, they take sides with one or the other, every now and then they intervene by moving the actions of the heroes from there, pawns on the chessboard. But things aren’t exactly like this: there isn’t a single action of the war narrated in the Iliad that doesn’t have the intention of a god behind it. The gods enter the heroes’ fights. Nucci, who has studied Greek myths for more than twenty years, rereads the Iliad.

CLICK HERE TO GET A COPY IN ITALIAN (NO ENGLISH VERSION)

© Samantha Sebesta, Samantha James, and The Chronicles of History: Reading Into Our Past, 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Samantha Sebesta with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

A watercolor painting depicting a burglar sitting on a green sofa, engrossed in reading a book, in a cozy living room with classic decor.

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