Why the Persians especially blame the Greeks

4. μέχρι μὲν ὤν τούτου ἁρπαγάς μούνας εἶναι παρ' ἀλλήλων, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τούτου Ἕλληνας δὴ μεγάλως αἰτίους γενέσθαι: προτέρους γὰρ ἄρξαι στρατεύεσθαι ἐς τὴν Ἀσίην ἢ σφέας ἐς τὴν Εὐρώπην. [2] τὸ μέν νυν ἁρπάζειν γυναῖκας ἀνδρῶν ἀδίκων νομίζειν ἔργον εἶναι, τὸ δὲ ἁρπασθεισέων σπουδήν ποιήσασθαι τιμωρέειν ἀνοήτων, τὸ δὲ μηδεμίαν ὤρην ἔχειν ἁρπασθεισέων σωφρόνων: δῆλα γὰρ δὴ ὅτι, εἰ μὴ αὐταὶ ἐβούλοντο, οὐκ ἂν ἡρπάζοντο.

[3] σφέας μὲν δὴ τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίης λέγουσι Πέρσαι ἁρπαζομενέων τῶν γυναικῶν λόγον οὐδένα ποιήσασθαι, Ἕλληνας δὲ Λακεδαιμονίης εἵνεκεν γυναικὸς στόλον μέγαν συναγεῖραι καὶ ἔπειτα ἐλθόντας ἐς τὴν Ἀσίην τὴν Πριάμου δύναμιν κατελεῖν. [4] ἀπὸ τούτου αἰεὶ ἡγήσασθαι τὸ Ἑλληνικὸν σφίσι εἶναι πολέμιον. τὴν γὰρ Ἀσίην καὶ τὰ ἐνοικέοντα ἔθνεα βάρβαρα οἰκηιεῦνται οἱ Πέρσαι, τὴν δὲ Εὐρώπην καὶ τὸ Ἑλληνικόν ἥγηνται κεχωρίσθαι.

‘up to this point’.... 'it was only (a matter of] plunder'

 ‘but thereafter’ (lit. ‘as to the thing from this’)

‘for they [the Greeks] began ... before they, themselves [the Asians] (did so) against Europe’; σφέας = αὐτούς

τὸ ἁρπαζειν γυναῖκας – articular infinitive

ἔργον ἐστὶ  (+ gen.)- ‘ (it) is the act of’

τὸ δὲ ... τιμωρέειν – but to make a big deal of avenging (the women) captives, (they consider to be the act) of mindless (fools)

τὸ δὲ μηδεμίαν ὤρην ἔχειν ... and to take no account of the captives (is the act of)...’

δῆλα (ἐστὶ) – it is clear ...

‘if the women themselves were unwilling, they would not be taken captive’ (contrary to fact)

 σφέας = αὐτοὺς -  (that) they, themselves

 λόγον οὐδένα ποιήσασθαι –take no account

‘on account of (one) Spartan woman’

συν-αγείρω – gather (~raise an army)

κατελεῖν < καθ-αιρέω – destroy

τὸ Ἑλληνικὸν – the Greek (nation)

ἐν-οικέω – inhabit, dwell in

οἰκηιοομαι – claim (as one’s own οἶκος)

ἥγηνται κεχωρίσθαι (both perfect) 'they have regarded ... kept apart' separate (~ off limits)