Yes, the received view of Epicurus is quite tainted, sadly.
Also, the Epicurean communities that followed lasted for a good
700-800 YEARS after he died, and while they suffered from the
same issues that all long-lasting groups of people do, they
maintained their core "friendship" values when they folded into
the dominant religio-political protection of the Byzantines.
[you can call it protection, you can call it domination - it's
all on how you want to view it, but they became "Epicurean with
Christian icing on the top" in my view as they didn't seem to be
fundamentally different than they were before]
Considering the core of a "friendship community" remained and
adopted the "best of" part of Christianity, Epicurus, I believe
has proven his merit and worth as an effective philosopher and
general guide to life.
