Diogones Laertius records various "scandals" of Epicurus and what critics were saying about him, one particular remark is this one below.
"in another letter to Themista he thinks he preaches to her"
Pamela Mensch simply says on this passage "The text is corrupt here and no convincing restoration has been proposed."
I found this note on Attalus.Com, and was wondering if some or our better Greek experts like Bryan or Don could answer what this passage likely means. I found it translating from everything to "He wants to have his way with her" to "He tries to preach to her".
"A perplexing passage. (1) As παραινετική is for the Stoics that branch of ethics which makes personal application of moral principles, the MSS. may be right. (2) By changing αὐτῇ to αὐτήν, a little more sting is given to this tame remark: "he thinks that she preaches." (3) If this is one of the fifty scandalous letters alluded to in § 3, Froben's αὐτὴν περαίνειν, which Bignone and Apelt adopt, may be right. (4) If emend we must, a rude remark is quite as probable as a compliment, cf. § 8. Hence νομίζει αὐτὴ<ν> παρα<κ>ινεῖν, "he deems her mad," if she says or thinks so‑and‑so, would be in the master's blunt manner, and Themista (to use the language of Phaedrus, 249D) νουθετεῖται ὡς παρακινοῦσα.
