I guess I was confused by your initial post in which you claimed, as a positive statement, that Epicurus himself was "a bit of a prude." I believe my initial statement was: "I don't know." I followed that with an opinion.

For what it's worth, I do have a BA & MA in Classics, and a doctoral degree in Ancient Mediterranean history (not that any of that matters on the interwebs or carries any credibility). I feel equipped to weigh the testimonia appropriately, and indicate which direction that evidence has me leaning.

There are many scholars who take the "we can't know for sure" approach, and then compose entire book-length treatments on the subject that reflect their opinion based on the evidence available. That's the position we're in with nearly every facet of antiquity. Many of my colleagues in history who study more contemporary periods often claim we lack the evidence to do ancient history at all. Obviously, I do not share that perspective.

The text is from Peter Green's Alexander to Actium (California 1993), from Chapter 35, "The Garden of Epicurus" (618-630).

My original post simply expressed the direction I have come to lean concerning the preponderance of testimonia and scholarly debate. You are of course free to weigh the evidence yourself, toss out whatever you wish, and thus lean in whatever direction you wish.

I hope you'll understand if I tend to weigh the opinion of Peter Green and my own over yours. :D

That said, I'm sure you'll find many who lean in your direction.

Did Epicurus practice what he preached? According to our testimonia collected by Peter Green:

"His interest in women seems to have been strong, if tangential, and kept up (if we can believe Alciphron [Ep. 4.17]) into extreme old age. Though his professed attitude toward sex might be described as one of distrustful functionalism, the Garden abounded in stimulating female company, of which he clearly approved."

"Perhaps the most important thing to realize about Epicurus is that he was, in fact, the founder of a quasi-religious sect... Epicurean communes were obliged to take an oath, not only to obey the founder, but also to accept his doctrines. He was known as "The Leader" and flattered as a god... Though Epicureans found sex unprofitable and illusory, they did not on that account ban it, and 'there is no need to assume that the relations between the male and female members of the school were platonic [Rist 11]'. The Leader seems to have enjoyed droit de seigneur with several of his followers' wives and mistresses [Plutarch Moralia 1098B, 1129B].

"Act always, he told his followers, as though Epicurus is watching." [Epicur. ap. Sen. Ep. Mor. 25.5]

Peter Green's Alexander to Actium probably represents the most concise take.

I don't know. The more I've dug into it, the more it looks like a sex cult for Epicurus.