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A would-be burglar in Rome was caught after stopping to read a book on Greek mythology in the middle of a theft, Italian media reports.

The 38-year-old reportedly gained access to a flat in the Italian capital's Prati district via the balcony but became distracted after picking up a book about Homer's Iliad on a bedside table.

The 71-year-old homeowner is said to have awoken and confronted the alleged thief, who was engrossed in the book.

News of the failed burglary attracted the attention of the book's author, who told local media he wanted to send the man a copy so he could "finish" his read.

After being caught off-guard, the alleged thief reportedly attempted to make a quick getaway by escaping via the same balcony, but was arrested shortly afterwards.

He is said to have told police he had climbed the building to visit a person he knew.

"I thought I had ended up in a B&B, saw the book and started to read it."

Giovanni Nucci, the author of The Gods at Six O'Clock, which explains the Iliad from the perspective of the gods, 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 reportedly in possession of a bag containing expensive clothing allegedly stolen from another house earlier that evening.

Mr Nucci said his personal favourite deity was Hermes, the god of thieves.

"He is also the god of literature. It is clear: everything fits," he joked.