A would-be burglar entered an apartment, saw a book on Homer’s Iliad, and made himself comfortable so he could read the book—that is, until he was caught later on, still absorbed in his reading.
According to Italian media, the 38-year-old man entered the apartment in the Prati district of the Italian capital through a balcony with the intent to steal. He stopped to look at the book and ended up being engrossed in it.
The 71-year-old owner of the house is said to have woken up and confronted the alleged thief, who was absorbed in the book. He called the police, and they arrived at the apartment shortly after.
After being taken by surprise, the would-be thief tried to escape by jumping from the same balcony. He did so but was caught shortly after. He reportedly told police he went up to the building to visit an acquaintance. However, in his possession, he had a bag containing expensive clothing that had been stolen from a nearby apartment earlier that evening.
Author of the book reacts with good humor
News of the failed break-in attracted the attention of the book’s author, Giovanni Nucci. Nucci was pleasantly surprised by the incident. He told local media that he wanted to send the would-be burglar a copy to finish reading it.
The title of the book is The Gods at Six O’Clock, which is an imaginary analysis of the Iliad from the perspective of the ancient Greek gods involved.
“It’s fantastic. I’d like to find the person caught red-handed and give them the book, because he was caught halfway through reading it. I wish he could finish it. It’s a surreal story, full of humanity,” the author told the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.
Nucci also mentioned that his favorite god is Hermes, the patron of thieves as well as literature. “It’s clear, everything fits,” he joked.
Homer’s Iliad: A story for the ages
For many, Homer’s Iliad is the foundation of Western literature. Along with the Odyssey, his epic poems of heroism, glory, and honor have served as standards of writing for authors since the 8th to 7th century BC, when they were written.
To Plato, Homer was simply the one who “has taught Greece.” In Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, Virgil refers to Homer as “Poet sovereign” and king of all poets. Moreover, in the preface to his translation of the Iliad, Alexander Pope acknowledges that Homer has always been considered the “greatest of poets.”
From antiquity to the present day, Homeric epics have inspired many famous works of literature, music, art, and film.
