Lewis & Short

postŭlo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [posco], to ask, demand, require, request, desire (syn.: posco, flagito, peto); constr. with aliquid, aliquid ab aliquo, aliquem aliquid, with ut (ne), de, with inf., or absol.

  1. I. In gen.: incipiunt postulare, poscere, minari, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 34, § 78: nemo inventus est tam audax, qui posceret, nemo tam impudens qui postularet ut venderet, id. ib. 2, 4, 20, § 44; cf. Liv. 2, 45; 3, 19: tametsi causa postulat, tamen quia postulat, non flagitat, praeteribo, Cic. Quint. 3, 13: postulabat autem magis quam petebat, ut, etc., Curt. 4, 1, 8: dehinc postulo, sive aequom est, te oro, ut, etc., Ter. And. 1, 2, 19: ita volo itaque postulo ut fiat, id. ib. 3, 3, 18; Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 27: suom jus postulat, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 47; cf.: aequom postulat, da veniam, id. And. 5, 3, 30; and: quid est? num iniquom postulo? id. Phorm. 2, 3, 64: nunc hic dies alios mores postulat, id. And. 1, 2, 18: fidem publicam, Cic. Att. 2, 24, 2: istud, quod postulas, id. Rep. 1, 20, 33; id. Lael. 2, 9: ad senatum venire auxilium postulatum, Caes. B. G. 1, 31: deliberandi sibi unum diem postulavit, Cic. N. D. 1, 22, 60; cf.: noctem sibi ad deliberandum postulavit, id. Sest. 34, 74: postulo abs te, ut, etc., Plaut. Capt. 5, 1, 18: postulatur a te jam diu vel flagitatur potius historia, Cic. Leg. 1, 5: quom maxime abs te postulo atque oro, ut, etc., Ter. And. 5, 1, 4; and: quidvis ab amico postulare, Cic. Lael. 10, 35; cf. in pass.: cum aliquid ab amicis postularetur, id. ib.: orationes a me duas postulas, id. Att. 2, 7, 1: quod principes civitatum a me postulassent, id. Fam. 3, 8, 5; cf. infra the passages with an object-clause.
    With ut (ne): quodam modo postulat, ut, etc., Cic. Att. 10, 4, 2: postulatum est, ut Bibuli sententia divideretur, id. Fam. 1, 2, 1 (for other examples with ut, v. supra): legatos ad Bocchum mittit postulatum, ne sine causā hostis populo Romano fieret, Sall. J. 83, 1.
    With subj. alone: qui postularent, eos qui sibi Galliaeque bellum intulissent, sibi dederent, Caes. B. G. 4, 16, 3.
    With de: sapientes homines a senatu de foedere postulaverunt, Cic. Balb. 15, 34: Ariovistus legatos ad eum mittit, quod antea de colloquio postulasset, id per se fieri licere, Caes. B. G. 1, 42.
    With inf., freq. to be rendered, to wish, like, want: qui lepide postulat alterum frustrari, Enn. ap. Gell. 18, 2, 7 (Sat. 32 Vahl.): hic postulat se Romae absolvi, qui, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 60, § 138: o facinus impudicum! quam liberam esse oporteat, servire postulare, Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 62; id. Men. 2, 3, 88: me ducere istis dictis postulas? Ter. And. 4, 1, 20; id. Eun. 1, 1, 16: (lupinum) ne spargi quidem postulat decidens sponte, Plin. 18, 14, 36, § 135: si me tibi praemandere postulas, Gell. 4, 1, 11.
    With a double object: quas (sollicitudines) levare tua te prudentia postulat, demands of you, Luccei. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 14, 2.
    With nom. and inf.: qui postulat deus credi, Curt. 6, 11, 24.
  2. II. In partic., in jurid. lang.
    1. A. To summon, arraign before a court, to prosecute, accuse, impeach (syn.: accuso, insimulo); constr. class. usu. with de and abl., post-Aug. also with gen.): Gabinium tres adhuc factiones postulant: L. Lentulus, qui jam de majestate postulavit, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 5, § 15: aliquem apud praetorem de pecuniis repetundis, id. Cornel. Fragm. 1: aliquem repetundis, Tac. A. 3, 38: aliquem majestatis, id. ib. 1, 74: aliquem repetundarum, Suet. Caes. 4: aliquem aliquā lege, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 12, 3: aliquem ex aliquā causā reum, Plin. 33, 2, 8, § 33: aliquem impietatis reum, Plin. Ep. 7, 33, 7: aliquem injuriarum, Suet. Aug. 56 fin.: aliquem capitis, Dig. 46, 1, 53: qui (infames) postulare prohibentur, Paul. Sent. 1, 2, 1.
    2. B. To demand a writ or leave to prosecute, from the prætor or other magistrate: postulare est desiderium suum vel amici sui in jure apud eum qui jurisdictioni praeest exponere vel alterius desiderio contradicere, etc., Dig. 3, 1, 1; cf. this whole section: De postulando: in aliquem delationem nominis postulare, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 20, 64: postulare servos in quaestionem, id. Rosc. Am. 28, 77: quaestionem, Liv. 2, 29, 5.
    3. C. For the usual expostulare, to complain of one: quom patrem adeas postulatum, Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 38 (but in id. Mil. 2, 6, 35, the correct read. is expostulare; v. Ritschl ad h. l.).
    4. * D. Postulare votum (lit. to ask a desire, i. e.), to vow, App. Flor. init.
    5. E. Of the seller, to demand a price, ask (post-class. for posco): pro eis (libris) trecentos Philippeos postulasse, Lact. 1, 6, 10; cf.: accipe victori populus quod postulat aurum, Juv. 7, 243.
  3. III. Transf., of things.
    1. A. To contain, measure: jugerum sex modios seminis postulat, Col. 2, 9, 17.
    2. B. To need, require: cepina magis frequenter subactam postulat terram, Col. 11, 3, 56.
      Hence, po-stŭlātum, i, n.; usually in plur.: po-stŭlāta, ōrum, a demand, request (class.): intolerabilia postulata, Cic. Fam. 12, 4, 1; id. Phil. 12, 12, 28: deferre postulata alicujus ad aliquem, Caes. B. C. 1, 9: cognoscere de postulatis alicujus, id. B. G. 4, 11 fin.: postulata facere, Nep. Alcib. 8, 4.