'turning of the wheel') is a period of 54 years, 33 days that can be used to predict successive eclipses with similar properties and location.
A Greek astronomical clock called the Antikythera mechanism used epicyclic gearing to predict the dates of consecutive exeligmoses.
The near-integer number of anomalistic months ensures that the apparent diameter of the moon will be nearly the same with each successive eclipse.
The sun's apparent diameter also changes significantly in one month, affecting the length and width of a solar eclipse.
Note the similar paths of each total eclipse, and how they fall close to the same longitude of the earth.