Becoming a ruler is not enough for a hero; the bloodless resolution of the conflict with Arnulf was only a start. There is a certain pattern of constructing narratives and the tales about Henry and Otto adhere to it. Therefore, before Liudprand could leave his heroes, he wanted to make a final point about their power and greatness. In the whole of Antapodosis there is one threat common to all parts of his Europe: pagans. They endangered the whole continent and thus defeating them is the final element in the creation of an ideal ruler. He has to be shown as a destroyer of the invaders and enemies of Christianity: The Hungarians.

Here I want to show how Liudprand and Widukind create the description of fights against the Hungarians, to refer to their specific ideas. The latter author made Henry into a new Charlemagne. His description of the fights against the Hungarians is dominated by such imaginary. Liudprand had a different idea of what he wanted to convey through depicting the fights with the Hungarians. They were the enemies of all Europe and his aim was to show their domination over all kings and princes. Only the Liudolfings were able to stand against them, as Liudprand painted an image of one family strong enough to safeguard Europe and therefore worthy of becoming emperors. This imperial idea is present in Antapodosis from the beginning.

The idea of a dangerous east was and is very popular in Germany and made these wars an extremely popular element of the historical narratives, which later, after World War II, were minimised. It remained a part of the vision of the past, but historians tend to avoid it. These wars were seen as a particular moment in history, when Germans were united for the first time.

This also has to be discussed with an explanation of the great symbol of the Empire seen in Antapodosis. Liudprand used the image of the Holy Lance to create the impression that Otto was worthy of the empire. It was a special relic encompassing many traditions and meanings.