The northern provinces of the Empire, Germania and Britannia, harbored significant potential for unrest: both the native tribes occasionally inclined towards uprisings and ambitious Roman military leaders. This study analyzes and compares rebellions from Caesar's time to that of Domitian. The focus is on how these rebellions are portrayed in Roman sources. Victories against the feared northern barbarians were a means of legitimizing rule for any Roman emperor. Defeats, on the other hand, or even reports of usurpations, were devastating for one's reputation. Thus, unrest is often distorted, with the tendency depending on the respective source. The study aims to reveal the mechanisms of manipulation. To this end, a detailed comparison of sources will be conducted, searching for stereotypical motifs in the representations.