In 423 CE, who took control of the Western Roman Empire?

• A. Honoria
• B. Galla Placidia
• C. Pulcheria
• D. Aetius

Answer: (B)

Regency and imperial power during the late Western Roman Empire. When Honorius died in 423, Galla Placidia returned to the West and acted as regent for her young son Valentinian III. By governing in his name, she held the actual authority to make decisions and direct policy, so she was the de facto ruler of the Western Empire at that moment. This is why she is the best answer. While Aetius was a powerful general who controlled troops and influenced policy under Placidia’s regency, he was not the ruler himself. Pulcheria ruled in the East, not the West, and Honoria, though a significant royal figure, did not govern the Western Empire in 423.