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.—
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.—
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,” Cic. 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? aut ... iracundius 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.