It is situated in Regio II, Insula 2, 2-5 on the Via dell'Abbondanza (literally meaning the "street of abundance"), one of the most notable streets in the archaeological site of Pompeii, and conveniently situated for both the palaestra and the amphitheatre. The section of Via dell'Abbondanza it occupied was closed off to cart traffic in ancient times.

The original or previous name of this house was wrongly derived from electoral graffiti etched in the outer façade, some saying "Vote for Loreius" and others "Vote for Tiburtinus". In fact, the last known owner of the house was a man named Octavius Quartio, whose bronze seal was found inside the house during excavation. Some historians choose to refer to this house as the House of Octavius Quartio.

circa 250 BCE- 79 CE

The two original structures combined to form this palatial residence were originally built during the Samnite Period circa the 3rd century BCE. The domus covered an entire insula before the earthquake of 62 CE and had two atriums and two entrances. After the earthquake, part of the house (II 2, 4) was sold to another owner and was made independent. It is thought the arcaded terrace (loggia) and the large garden were completed around this time as well extending the area to about 1,800 square meters. Art historian John R. Clarke has suggested the expanded garden space may have been used for commercial purposes, "like that of its neighbor two blocks to the east, the Praedia of Julia Felix, citing Wilhelmina Jashemski.

circa 250 BCE- 79 CE

Entrance and the Adjoining Shops
The main entrance, is flanked by two shops (tabernae), the Caupona-thermopolium of Astylus and Pardalus (II 2, 1) to the right of the entrance, with remains of a food serving counter and stairs to an upper floor, and the Caupona of Athictus (inspect), to the left of the entrance fauces. This shop had only a sales counter of wood that left an imprint below the plastered east wall. It is thought these shop spaces were once part of the house but were eventually separated from the main residential structure and either rented or sold as both shops had doorways to the atrium of the main House at II 2, 2. The Athictus shop also had a doorway leading into the cubicula situated directly behind it.

Interior
The interior of the house is fairly uniform in its organization, and matches the standard Roman architecture at the time. Unfortunately some of the house's original integrity was compromised before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the earthquake of 62 CE during antiquity. Then during modern times the Allied bombing raids in 1943 CE during WWII further damaged the building further.

circa 250 BCE- 79 CE

Atrium
The fauces (entrance) at II 2, 2 opens into a rectangular atrium with an impluvium in the center. This basin collected rainwater through a hole in the roof to be used by the patrons of the house. It was later repurposed into a larger fountain (inspect) surrounded by a bed of plants. This portion of the residence suffered extensive damage from exposure to the elements after its excavation in 1916 CE as well as Allied bomb damage in 1943 CE. At the rear of the atrium, the home's tablinum was replaced with a small columned pseudo-peristyle. The columns (inspect) are painted red at the base and white above. Though faded, the walls still bear evidence of painting in the Fourth style with black panels separated by yellow columns above a red dado. On the east wall is the extremely faded remains of a panel painting but it's so damaged the subject can no longer be perceived.

Patronage relationships began to evolve during the late Republic. More and more patronage extended over entire communities whether on the basis of political decree, benefaction by an individual who becomes the communities' patron, or by the community formally adopting a patron. This may account for the elimination of a formal tablinum space.

A number of the rooms adjoining the atrium are also in poor repair state. The north chamber (cubiculum) has only a small piece of stucco left of its decoration. It contains what Spinazzola described as a kiln (muffola) for the baking and glazing of small vases/pots. It is in this room that the seal ring of D. Octavius Quartio was found.

The south-western chameber (cubiculum), partially destroyed in the 1943 CE bombing, retains no decoration at all. It is thought to have been a triclinium. Likewise, all that remains of the room in the south-east corner are the bare walls. It's doorway to what is thought to be a latrine is still extant, though. Room directly behind it, also without decoration, is accessible through the south-east chamber.

Room in the middle of the north side of the atrium, with a yellow middle zone with black dado, once contained a panel painting of Europa and the Bull, two medallions with one particularly fine portrait thought to be the owner's daughter, and painted imitation windows as documented by a 1930 CE photograph. These were all destroyed by concussion in one of the 1943 bombing raids.

Ala "b", a relatively large room decorated in the Fourth Style with red panels on a dark blue ground with floating soldier figures (inspect), survived, though it has faded severely from exposure.

circa 250 BCE- 79 CE

Triclinium with Yellow Walls
Room "c", thought to have been another triclinium with yellow panels bordered in red was also damaged and faded due to exposure after excavation.

circa 250 BCE- 79 CE

Oecus "d", "e" and "f"
A small oecus "d" also decorated in the Fourth Style depicting architectural structures and landscapes in roundels on a white ground has survived.

Room "e" has managed to retain fragments of its black and white floor mosaics and a panel picture of a hunting scene framed with garlands on a yellow ground. These two rooms are thought to have been painted by a workshop located on the Via di Castricio.

Room "f" on the west side of the pseudo-peristyle is an oecus decorated in the Fourth Style with white ground panels bordered in cinnabar red above a black dado with Egyptian and cultic motifs. Among figures portrayed include Bacchus with his thyrsus and a priest of Isis with a sistrum, possibly depicting the owner. Beneath it is the inscription "Amisusius Loreius Tiburtinus." This is in addition to the election slogans referring to Tiburtinus found on the outer facade of the house.

A biga (two-horse chariot) tops one of the painted architectural structures. There are also roundels depicting maenads and satyrs. Paintings of Diana bathing to the south and Actaeon attacked by his hunting dogs to the north suggest the room was used as a sacellum to scholars conducting the damage diagnosis of the site for the Piano della Conoscenza-Grande Progetto Pompei Project in 2016 CE. Finnish scholar, Ilkka Kuivalainen, agrees, stating the presence of Bacchus clearly indicates cultic purposes. But, site curators do not think the room was used for religious purposes. They state on site signage:

"What at first sight appear to be stringent references to the goddess Isis and her cult are none other than proof of the exotic taste, a completely secular one, with an exclusively ornamental nature, which characterized the new ruling class that was being formed in the early decades of the empire".

This room was also bomb damaged then partially restored from stucco fragments. The paintings have been attributed to the Vetii workshop.

circa 250 BCE- 79 CE

Triclinium of the Achilles and Iliad Fresco
Room "h", a spacious triclinium, still retains much of its frescoes, although fragmentary. Two panels of images are painted continuously around the room. The more narrow lower panel depicts scenes of Achilles and the Iliad interspersed with simulated marble panels including Thetis giving weapons forged by Hephaestus to Achilles, Patroclus, dressed in the armor of Achilles, fighting from a wheeled vehicle, the funeral of Patroclus, a boxing match as part of the games held in honor of Patroclus, and Automedon readying the chariot for Achilles. At the far east end, is the iconic scene of Achilles dragging Hector's body behind his chariot followed by images of Priam led by Hermes taking a wagon out of Troy and entering the Greek camp and a kneeling King Priam pleading with Achilles for the body of Hector.

The wider upper panel portrays scenes from the myth of Heracles involving Telamon and Laomedon. Telamon, father of the Greek hero Ajax the Great, was one of the Argonauts and friend of Heracles who assisted him on his expeditions against the Amazons and his assault on Troy. Laomedon was the king of Troy at the time and father of Podarces, later renamed Priam. When Heracles besieged Troy, Telamon was the first to breach the wall and enter the city (first panel painting - Telamon approaching King Laomedon). Heracles slew Laomedon (next panel) and awarded Laomedon's daughter to Telamon as a war prize (third panel - the wedding of Telamon and Hesione).

circa 250 BCE- 79 CE

Summer Biclinium
The so-called summer biclinium was situated on the upper level of the garden terrace. It was constructed at the east end of the upper euripus, two masonry couches on either side of a water feature. It features an aedicula is centered on the back wall flanked by a fresco of Narcissus admiring his reflection in a pool and the suicide of Pyramus and Thisbe. Telamon in the form of a kneeling satyr is now placed within the aedicula based on a suggestion by original site excavator Spinazzola but today there is no evidence of piping for its use as a fountain base. A sculpture of a river god was also found in this location. A particularly significant find on one of the couches of the summer biclinium was the only known artist's signature in Pompeii: "Lucius pinxit" or "Painted by Lucius".

circa 250 BCE- 79 CE

Garden-Shrine

circa 250 BCE- 79 CE

Gardens
The house is particularly well known for its extensive gardens and outdoor ornamentation, including two perpendicular euripi, water channels named after the strait of Euripus between Euboea and the main Greek peninsula. These channels with fountains were the centerpiece for many frescoes and statuettes.

circa 250 BCE- 79 CE

Construction Masonry
The masonry of the praedia-residential complex were composed of opus incertum (stone rubble embedded in concrete) with ashlar piers, except for the easternmost corner, which was constructed with opus vittatum mixtum (a combination of brick and stone blocks).