Burglar in Rome got distracted by book.

A burglar who broke into an apartment in Rome on Tuesday night was arrested after stopping in the middle of the robbery to read a book about Greek mythology.

The man, a 38-year-old Italian, gained access to the building in the Della Vittoria district from the balcony but became distracted after seeing a book on a bedside table.

However the owner of the property, a 71-year-old man, woke up and confronted the burglar who was reportedly sitting on a bed absorbed in the book.

The burglar then tried to escape from the same balcony but was arrested by police who arrived after being called by the owner.

Police found the man in possession of a bag of designer clothers, likely stolen earlier that night from another house.

The book in question, according to news outlet RomaToday, was Gli Dei alle sei. L'Iliade all'ora dell'aperitivo by Giovanni Nucci who examines The Iliad from the point of view of the gods while highlighting the interpretative power of the epic work to understand current events.