ἢ ὥσπερ Σαπφώ• ὅτι τὸ ἀποθνῄσκειν κακόν• οἱ θεοὶ γὰρ οὕτω κεκρίκασιν• ἀπέθνησκον γὰρ ἄν.
“…Or [as] Sappho [writes],
‘Death is an evil;
the gods have so decided,
for otherwise they would die.'”

Aristotle quotes the poet Sappho constructing a logically valid modus tollens syllogism to argue that death is not, as some suggest, a blessing but rather a curse.

A modus tollens (denying the consequent) syllogism is structured like this:

• It can be shown that if [insert first statement] is the case, then it follows that [insert second statement] will be the case.
• It can be shown that [second statement] is not true.
• Therefore, [first statement] cannot be the case.

Or, to put it in symbolic terms:

Her argument goes like this:

• If death were a blessing, then the gods would have it–they being blessed, and able to have all good things.
  (Logically, if [death is a blessing], then it follows that [the gods would die])
• The gods, however, do not die.
  ([the gods would die] is not true.)
• So death cannot be good, but is a terrible evil.
  (Therefore, [death is a blessing] cannot be true.

But, of course, the greatest curse is being separated by those we love…

Sappho, fragment 94

Honestly, I wish I were dead.

Weeping many tears, she left me and said,
“Alas, how terribly we suffer, Sappho.
I leave you against my will.”

And I answered: “Farewell, go and remember me.
You know how I cared for you.
When you remember, remember
these good and beautiful times.

Beside me you put on
many wreaths of roses
and put garlands of violets       
around your soft neck.            

You poured precious myrrh,
and royal perfume on your body,
pouring out your longing on soft beds.

And there was no dance,
no ceremony, no celebration,
without us.