Lewis & Short

vāpŭlo, āvi, 1, v. neutral pass. [perh. root vap-; cf. vappo; prop. to wriggle, flutter; hence], to get a cudgelling or flogging, to be flogged.

  1. I. Lit.: ego vapulando, ille verberando usque ambo defessi sumus, Ter. Ad. 2, 2, 5; so (opp. verberare), Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 178: vapulo ego invitus, id. Cas. 5, 3, 15: ergo istoc magis, Quia vaniloquus, vapulabis, id. Am. 1, 1, 223: cum corpus vapulet, Lucr. 4, 936: non ego, sed tenuis vapulat umbra mea, Prop. 3, 3 (2, 12), 20: qui illum viderant ab illo flagris vapulantem, Sen. Lud. Mort. Claud. 15, 2: testis in reum rogatus, an ab reo fustibus vapulasset, Quint. 9, 2, 12; 1, 3, 16: saepe territus quasi vapulaturus, Dig. 47, 10, 15: coctum ego, non vapulatum dudum conductus fui, Plaut. Aul. 3, 3, 9.
      1. 2. Vapula, vapulet, as an opprobrious expression, you be flogged! he be flogged! like the vulg. Engl., you be hanged! he be hanged! nunc profecto vapula ob mendacium, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 214; id. As. 2, 4, 72; id. Truc. 5, 53: vapulet! Ne sibi me credat supplicem fore! id. Pers. 2, 3, 17: vapulare te vehementer jubeo, id. Curc. 4, 4, 12.
        Hence, prov.: vapula Papiria, of doubtful signif.; v. Fest. p. 372 Müll.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Of troops, like our to be beaten, i. e. to be conquered: septimam legionem vapulasse, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 1, 4.
      2. 2. Of property, to be dissipated, squandered: vapulat peculium, Plaut. Stich. 5, 5, 10: multa, Sen. Q. N. 6, 7, 6.
      3. 3. In gen., of inanim. things, to be struck, beaten: (olea) quae vapulavit macescit, Varr. R. R. 1, 55, 1: turris pluvio, Sen. Agam. 93.
  2. II. Trop., to be lashed, attacked: omnium sermonibus vapulare, Cic. Att. 2, 14, 1.
    1. B. To be in trouble, to be afflicted: sub Veneris regno vapulo, non sub Jovis, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 15.