Who was Catherine the Great? You definitely know the name but probably not the life of the fascinating woman behind it. In reality, the Russian empress truly earned her "The Great" epithet, though her achievements weren't necessarily "good." Born a minor German princess, Catherine married the heir to the Russian throne, tossed him out of power, and became a powerful ruler in her own right. Many Catherine the Great biographies mention her vigorous foreign and domestic policies as well as her tyrannical tendencies. But when she wasn't ruling, what did Catherine the Great do?