Did St. Luke the Evangelist die a martyr's death?

Little is known about St. Luke after he wrote the Acts of the Apostles, though some traditions claim he died a martyr's death.

Nearly ever apostle who walked closely with Jesus on earth died a gruesome death. They freely gave their lives out of love of Jesus Christ and refused to renounce their faith.

St. Luke, author of a gospel and companion of St. Paul, is not one of the twelve apostles. He was a convert to the Christian faith after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

He was able to interview those who knew Jesus intimately, as it is believed he even interviewed the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Luke’s writing gained him the title of Evangelist, and it is how he is most frequently referenced by the Church.

How did he die?

The Church is relatively silent about the precise way he died. The 2004 Roman Martyrology offers a brief biography, but doesn’t mention his death:

Feast of St. Luke, evangelist, who, according to tradition, was born in Antioch to a pagan family and a doctor by profession, converted to faith in Christ. Having become a dear companion of St. Paul the Apostle, he carefully arranged all the works and teachings of Jesus in the Gospel, becoming a scribe of Christ’s meekness, and narrated in the Acts of the Apostles the beginnings of the life of the Church until Paul’s first stay at Rome.

St. Jerome also fails to say anything about his death in his biographical note:

He lived 84 years and was never married. His body lies at Constantinople, whither it was translated from Achaia, together with the relics of St. Andrew the apostle in the 20th year of Constantine.

The Catholic Encyclopedia offers a little more background behind his death:

Epiphanius has it that he preached in Dalmatia (where there is a tradition to that effect), Gallia (Galatia?), Italy, and Macedonia. As an Evangelist, he must have suffered much for the Faith, but it is controverted whether he actually died a martyr’s death.

The liturgical tradition of the Church is equally ambivalent, as St. Luke is only mentioned as an Evangelist, but the priest in the Roman Rite wears red on his feast day, which is typically reserved for martyrs.

Whatever actually happened, St. Luke lived a fruitful life, writing down one of the most dearly beloved gospels, which helped spread the Christian faith throughout the world.

Did St. Luke the Evangelist die a martyr’s death?

How did he die?