The proposed paper examines the writings of the noted French entomologist Guillaume-Antoine Olivier regarding the notorious Ottoman rebel notable Pasvano?lu Osman Pasha. Sent by the republican government in 1792 to study the natural history of the Ottoman Empire and Persia, Olivier returned to France in 1798 with a large collection of specimens for study as well as enough information to write a two-volume account of the contemporary Ottoman Empire, concerning its political, socio-economic, and environmental conditions. Although Voyage dans l'empire Othoman, l'Égypte et la Perse contains a treasure trove of information on many subjects, the discussion of Pasvano?lu Osman Pasha of Vidin is noteworthy. Published in 1800, Olivier’s travel account provides significant, if not fanciful, detail about the life of the then infamous rebel whose name had frequently graced the leading newspapers of Europe over the previous three years regarding the attempts by the Ottoman central government to capture and eliminate him. Olivier’s laudatory portrayal of Pasvano?lu as a “liberator of the oppressed” became the standard account repeated by future European historians and travelers to the region. Despite his actual motives and actions, amongst European writers on the Ottoman Empire Pasvano?lu became a symbol of resistance to tyranny, be that Ottoman or perceived European tyranny. Following an examination of both Voyage dans l'empire Othoman, in general, and Olivier’s depiction of Pasvano?lu, in particular, this portrayal is compared to the “godless traitor” Pasvano?lu seen in contemporary Ottoman accounts, namely chronicles and documents originating from state and provincial officials and residents. Despite this noted difference between the “traitor” and “rebel hero” Pasvano?lu, future European writers continued to follow Olivier’s lead almost without exception, culminating in the report of Louis Auguste François Mériage’s official mission to Vidin in 1807 and reinforcing this image of the romantic rebel. Ironically other Ottoman rebels such as Ali Pasha of Janina rarely were portrayed in a positive light by visitors to the Ottoman Balkans. In addition to numerous travelers’ accounts, Ottoman chronicles, such as Vassif Tarihi, Asim Tarihi, and Cevdet Tarihi, and archival documents from the Prime Ministry’s Ottoman Archives in Istanbul will be used.