Was St Martin the First Non-Martyr Saint in Europe?

No. In fact, one of the first non-martyr Saints in Europe was St Petronilla, whose feast is today. Traditionally, she was believed to be the daughter of St Peter, though she was probably only a "spiritual daughter".

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

St. Martin of Tours died at the ripe old age of 81 and did not die a martyr's death, which was rare for a saint in the 4th century.

According to various stories and legends, St. Martin of Tours is called "the first saint in European history not to die a martyr's death."

In other places he is called the "First Confessor Saint," which was an older way of denoting a saint who was not a martyr.

However, is it true? It is a bold claim to say that a 4th-century saint was the first one throughout all of Europe to have died a peaceful death.

St. Martin's death

The Catholic Encyclopedia explains the manner of St. Martin of Tours' death:

After a last visit to Rome, Martin went to Candes, one of the religious centers created by him in his diocese, when he was attacked by the malady which ended his life. Ordering himself to be carried into the presbytery of the church, he died there in 400 (according to some authorities, more probably in 397) at the age of about 81, evincing until the last that exemplary spirit of humility and mortification which he had ever shown.

While it is true that most recognized saints of the 4th century were martyrs, it is difficult to claim that St. Martin of Tours was the first non-martyr.

Fr. Alban Butler provides some additional context to this claim:

Some have imagined that he was the first saint publicly honored by the church as a confessor; but this is not so much as insinuated by any ancient author; and St. John the Evangelist, St. Thecla, and many others were not properly martyrs, not to mention St. Petronilla, St. Praxedes, and St. Pudentiana.

St. Martin was certainly an early saint, but it's too big of a stretch to call him the first non-martyr in Europe.

Pictured: St Petronilla