Heraldry has been a recurrent theme, the Black, White, Red and Golden Lions have formed part of the royal coat of arms since the time of the Norman Conquest.
Suspicion of a financial oligarchy is a recurrent theme in America.
Sixtus's violent, if productive, five-year papacy exemplified a recurrent theme in Rome's history: the entwining of brutality with lavish creativity.
By contrast, imbalances have been a recurrent theme of Barack Obama's.
