The conceptual delineation between the sphere of political ideas and political activity has never represented a strong borderline for the continuous processes and influences that were exerted from one part to the other. In numerous occasions, political ideas were practically transformed into genuine guidelines that were intended to facilitate the art of statecraft for those that were in the ruling position. However, there are also famous cases in which ideas lack the potential to materialize and, thus, stagnate from this point of view, transforming themselves into sheer utopias aimed at raising public or simply elite awareness on certain issues. Considered by many the founding father of the discipline of political science, a proponent of civic humanism or simply blamed as an extremely wicked, immoral and irreligious intellectual, Niccolo Machiavelli has been the target of overwhelmingly long scholar debates that did not manage to integrate him into strict categories. Having written a prolific literature on political issues, Machiavelli himself became the subject of even more numerous works than his own. The literature that was developed starting from Machiavelli has multiple roots and is very diverse. First of all, a part of the legacy transmitted by the Florentine secretary consists in the works that were intended to analyze and interpret his own ideas. Secondly, there are the scholars that continued Machiavelli’s line of thought and who form the Machiavellian and Neo Machiavellian currents. Lastly, Machiavelli managed to become a source of inspiration for one of the most famous theories of International Relations, namely, realism. Machiavelli’s arguments are at the core of the basic books that founded the realist theory. Even if they appear under different forms or slightly modified, the essence is, nonetheless, present. 1. Topic of the Research Machiavelli’s ideas have been taken into account and applied not only at the level of internal politics, but also in the field of international relations. The most famous work of the Italian diplomat, The Prince, does not contain only guidelines for ruling within the borders of one’s territory. Moreover, most of the advice that Machiavelli provides refers to the behavior of the politician with respect to the events that are performed on the international arena. The aim of the present research is to analyze the connection and the degree of influence that exist between Machiavelli’s political and philosophical ideas and realism. In this respect, it could be argued that the topic of the paper belongs both to the field of political theory, as well as to that of International Relations. As the title accurately reflects, the two main figures of the research are Machiavelli and the realist theory. In the following pages, I shall try to explain the relationship which exists between the two and also to what extent we may talk about an influence or not. Realism draws its main ideas and concepts from several sources. However, Machiavelli’s arguments represent some fundamental elements in the shaping of this theory. The research shall not focus only on asserting that there is a Machiavellian influence in the development of realism, but also on quantifying this influence and on explaining its evolution and change in the major writings of several realist scholars.