Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

ex-postŭlo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. and n.

  1. I. To demand vehemently or urgently, to demand, require (mostly post-Aug. for class. exposco; not in Cic., since in Rosc. Com. 17, 50, the true read. is: et postulare; cf. also: peto, exigo, flagito, postulo): aures meae auxilium expostulant, Plaut. Pers. 4, 3, 25: quae ne civilium quidem bellorum victores expostulaverint, Tac. A. 1, 19: primas sibi partes, id. ib. 15, 53: cum quid expostulabit usus, Col. 12, 2, 3: tarda sunt quae in commune expostulantur, Tac. A. 1, 28: Armeniam praesidiis vacuam fieri, expostulabat, id. ib. 15, 17: expostulat, ut, etc., id. ib. 12, 46: quibus clamoribus expostulatum est, ne, etc., Plin. Pan. 75, 4.
    Absol.: expostulante consensu populi, pax inita, Vell. 2, 77, 1.
    1. B. In partic. (cf. exposco, II.), to require to be delivered up, to demand one for punishment: Marium Celsum ad supplicium expostulabant, Tac. H. 1, 45; cf. id. ib. 1, 73: auctores caedis ad poenam, Suet. Dom. 23.
  2. II. Cum aliquo (de aliqua re or aliquid) or absol., to find fault, dispute, expostulate with one respecting something; to complain of one (class.; syn.: calumnior, reprehendo, vitupero, increpo, improbo, etc.).
    With acc. rei, and cum with abl. pers.: lenis a te et facilis existimari debeo, qui nihil tecum de his ipsis rebus expostulem, Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 9; cf. id. ib. 3, 10, 6: cum illo injuriam, Ter. And. 4, 1, 15: ne illum quidem Juventium tecum expostulavi, Cic. Planc. 24, 58.
    With acc. alone: qui putant sibi fieri injuriam ultro, si quam fecere ipsi, expostules, Ter. Ad. 4, 3, 4.
    With acc. and inf. as object: tum obstetrix expostulavit mecum, parum missum sibi, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 103: sed locus esse videtur tecum expostulandi, Cic. Fam. 2, 17, 6.
    With de and abl. rei: regna omnia de nostris cupiditatibus et injuriis expostulant, id. Verr. 2, 3, 89, § 207.
    With quia or cur: expostulare, quia, etc., Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 88: mittebat oratores, qui suo nomine expostularent, cur, etc., Tac. A. 13, 37: cur non mecum questus es? autiracundius ac vehementius expostulasti? Cic. Sull. 15, 44; cf.: ne expostulent et querantur, se, etc., id. Tusc. 5, 5, 14: verecunde, Dig. 1, 12, 1, § 8.